Another Time Another Place
by Jomatto
Summary: Sora's worst nightmare had come true - Kairi was getting married.
1. Writer's Block

**Writer's Block  
**

In order to write a story, he had to lose a bit of sanity.

Sora knew this.

But he did it anyways.

What else could he do?

The clicking of his keyboard was the only sound in the apartment. For every word he typed, he would delete two more. By the time he was done, half of what he wrote disappeared. When there was nowhere to go, go backwards.

He leaned back and stretched out his arms. The drapes were dim; it was early in the morning. He rubbed his bleary eyes, got up, and pulled the drapes open, allowing sunlight to fill the room.

The apartment was cramped. Furniture collided at odd angles and there was no effort to maximize space, but he wasn't worried about the terrible feng shui. Discarded shirts and pants littered the floor, and with the sun now pouring in, the place looked like a shrine to divine slovenly.

At age twenty-six, Sora was a fiction writer. He wrote a surprise hit series of novels known as _The Keyblade Chronicles_, a story about a hero who wields a key-shaped blade to fight against an evil called the Heartless. The novel became an instant hit and Tetsuya Nomura became an overnight sensation. It was his pen name. He didn't want two people in particular to know that he was the author, and he was never one for the spotlight.

Sora was currently working on the third book in the series, but he wasn't making much progress. The first book was a culmination of his life experiences, and the second book came about from a delirious mix of stress, pressure, and luck. Since he had exhausted all his creative resources, he had only an uncertain future to write about.

He moved away from the window and approached a mirror mounted on the wall. Blue eyes dominated with the sickly web of bloodshot stared back at him. Maturity had calmed his brown hair, which used to be a spiky mess when he was younger. A faded shirt hung loosely from his frame. Displeased by the reflection, he entered the bathroom to clean up.

A writer's block had his brain on permanent standby. Because of his previous success, the publisher granted him generous deadlines. He emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed, and decided to leave the apartment. It was a short trip down the stairs to the mailboxes.

He usually received fan mail, bills, and advertisements, but today, he found something different, something odd, and something too out-of-the-ordinary. It was an elegant envelope—a wedding invitation. His mind went through the possibilities for the groom and bride, but he couldn't help but dwell on the one couple that haunted him. If God had any mercy on his soul, it would be anybody but those two.

Taking out the letter, he read over the invitation:

**We humbly invite you to witness the loving union of Riku and Kairi in holy matrimony.**


	2. Smacked Around

**Smacked Around  
**

Sora stood in shock.

It was a terrible announcement wrapped in a fancy package. The small flourishes in the letters, the precise centering of sentences, and the bold-faced print made the invitation outstanding. If a couple's love was measured by the grace and elegance of their invitation, then Riku and Kairi were the perfect couple.

It was a crushing blow to Sora's heart. The disintegration of his hope produced a pain so exquisite, it took over his body. He was falling into a void of despair. His breathing hitched, his fingers went numb, and his legs wobbled. The memories he buried deep within his subconscious resurfaced.

When Sora was a boy, he was traumatized by his father's sudden departure. With the logic of a child, he blamed himself for it. This isolated him from the other children; they found him too moody and dark to bother with, and felt no obligation to reach out to him, and he in turn festered in his self-imposed cage of misery.

Until a flighty girl came running into his life and swept him off his feet—literally. Their first encounter, a headlong rush by a hyperactive girl into an inattentive boy during PE, gave birth to a union of unlike souls. She became his friend—his best friend—and like a kid latching on to his favorite blanket, he grew to depend on her, a comfort that always on hand; a comfort known as Kairi.

They couldn't stay together forever. The rift between them grew wider as they got older. Once she became a teenager, others began to take notice. New friends, admirers, and people flooded their lives. He was left to the wayside, washed away in a deluge of new faces and names. He knew it was a natural result of growing up, but every fiber of his being resisted it.

He became aware of an emotion growing in his heart—and it scared him. His attempts to quell the feeling only intensified it. He tried to distract himself by making friends of his own, but they weren't really his friends—acquaintances maybe, but not like her. None could ever live up to the absurdly high expectations set by her. There was no comparison. His futile quest to deny himself of the budding feelings in his heart only delayed the inevitable realization that Kairi had single-handedly both saved and destroyed his life, and it was because of one reason:

He was in love with her.

"_Are you ever going to ask her out?_" A simple question really, but the prospect scared the hell out of fourteen-year old Sora. "_Because if you're not, then I will._"

Sora didn't.

But Riku did.

It was the start of a beautiful relationship between Sora's closest friends. He hated it. He hated how good they looked together, how they seemed to complement each other perfectly. It was torture, to be subject to the very thing he could never have. What hurt most was that she was happy.

It was subtle at first, but he began to isolate himself from his two closest friends. It didn't go unnoticed. Kairi tried to talk to him, tried to reason with him, and practically begged him to keep their friendship intact. She didn't know. How could she? He never told her the truth. He played off their cues, led them to believe that he was happy for them, and that as long as they were happy, he wasn't secretly miserable.

The sound of a door opening snapped him out of his reverie. The landlord, clad in a light blue bathrobe, walked in with a rolled up newspaper in hand. He gave Sora an odd look. Sora shoved the invitation in his pocket and crouched down to gather the mail he didn't remember dropping. He ran up the stairway and shut the door behind him. He dumped the mail on his table, slowly walked over to his desk, and sat down. The computer monitor was black, save for the animation of a bouncing heart. His forehead smashed against the keyboard, breaking the screensaver, and a jumble of letters popped up.

His mind was blank, all difficulty about his third novel banished away. His fingers absentmindedly rubbed a scar hidden underneath his hair. It came from an accident from when he was in high school. It was the first day of school, freshman year, and he was dashing like a madman to make it in time. He didn't want to be late on the first day, but he got hit by a car when he was crossing the street. Witnesses described the incident as "horrifically funny." Seeing a kid get flung like a rag doll was hilarious—but only in movies. He suffered a concussion and broke various bones, including his left arm. He missed the entire first week of school, but it wasn't all bad. Kairi was so wracked with worry that she never left his side.

He felt like recreating the event. There was nothing live for. He might as well end his life by throwing himself in front of a car. His thoughts of suicide disappeared when he recalled his duty: he still had a book to finish—then again—the only reason he wrote _The Keyblade Chronicles_ was to escape his life in the first place.

When high school ended, Sora moved to Twilight Town to distance himself from the couple, and when he graduated from Twilight Town University, he moved to Radiant Garden, the furthest place possible from Destiny Islands. Left to his own devices, he thought long and hard about life. He lived, but was not alive. He flitted day-to-day, devoid of strength, energy, or motivation. Each morning was a struggle to get out of bed.

From the quagmire of his mind emerged a wish—a fervent dream—a story. Seized by the futility of his existence, he started writing. After a month of nonstop work, he completed it; a draft that ran for almost 400 pages. He didn't expect much, but he pitched it around, and it was picked up by the Walt Disney Publishing Company. It became a hit. The publisher asked if he was interested in writing a sequel. With nothing else to do, he accepted, working tirelessly, pouring out every last bit of regret, hope, and wish into a story that could only be realized in a children's book.

If only…

It was far too late for him. He couldn't go back in time. In the end, as he would often say to himself, "_I'm still just a kid._"

He raised his head and saw that his forehead had typed about twenty pages of gibberish. He pulled the invitation from his pocket and reread it, breaking the words into letters, analyzing it, as if it could somehow alter the information. No matter what he did, he arrived at the same conclusion:

Kairi was getting married.

He was beyond the crying stage. All he could do now was…laugh. So he did, like a raving lunatic. It was just too funny! He spent his life running away, and with just one card, everything he tried to forget came crashing down, leaving him with nothing but soul-crushing emptiness. Now was the point of no return, game over, thanks for trying, but he failed.

A small detail was nagging him from the back of his mind; how did the invitation find its way to his apartment? They couldn't have known where he was, he made sure of it. Sora scanned his brain for possible leaks. The only ones who knew where he lived was Disney Publishing and…his mom. How could she betray him like that?

He started looking for the phone, which lay underneath piles of discarded effects. For once, his neglect of basic home maintenance became an obstacle. One of his messes started to ring. After digging through three shirts, a sweater jacket, five socks, and a pair of underwear, he found the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, honey!" replied a voice full of mirth.

"Mom."

"Nice to hear from you too. Why is it that I always have to be the one to call? It gets lonely around here. When was the last time you came to talk to your dear old-"

"Cut it out, why did you tell them where I lived?" He didn't hear anything for a few seconds.

"Because they deserve to know."

"No, they don't!"

"Then because you deserve to know."

He paused. Would it be better to learn that she was getting married now, or years after the fact? He settled for indignant rage. "That still doesn't give you any right—I thought you promised not to tell them?"

"Oh come on, they've been your friends for nearly all your life and you run away like some spoiled little brat and-"

He let out a sigh. "Mom…"

"Now, you listen to me, you are going to come back to Destiny Islands right now and you will sort out your issues with them. They visit me often and ask how you're doing and I can't say a thing because you made me promise not to tell. I beared with it for a little while, but this is a very important occasion for them. I will not have you miss out on it." His mom had a knack for stating the hard truth like it was nothing.

He felt bad that he was shutting them out, but it was for his sanity's sake. "Look, I'm not coming to the wedding, so you can just RSVP 'no' for me." If seeing the card had plunged him into the depths of despair itself, what would happen if he actually saw them at the altar, the two of them gazing longingly into each other's eyes, and then finally, the kis—stop that! He couldn't let his imagination get carried away.

"I'm afraid you don't have much choice in the matter, young man." Oh no. What did that mean?

"What are you-" A knock interrupted his words.

Shit. This had better not be who he thought it was. He didn't dare look through the peephole and went straight for the doorknob. Before him stood a tall man sporting a 5 o'clock shadow. His blond hair was tapered with goggles and underneath the dirty stubble was a knowing grin.

"Cid!"

"Haha, you look like a deer caught in 'der headlights there!" The man offered himself in without invitation and ruffled Sora's hair. Cid wore a white shirt mussed with engine oil, the stains splattered at haphazard angles, and it was tucked beneath a green cloth belt that coiled around his waist. His brown cargo pants held an assortment of pockets filled with tools, and he wore a pair of dust-covered black boots. He wasn't presentable, but he gave off an air that said "_I don't give a damn._" The blond took in the room and gave approval for the fine mess he saw.

"Oh my, is Mr. Highwind already there?" his mom's voice said from the phone.

"Yeah. He is." The words rang hollow and defeated.

"That's great!" He could just hear the grin on her face. "Mr. Highwind will escort you back to Destiny Islands. Let me speak with him for a moment."

He rolled his eyes and grudgingly passed the phone to the engineer. "It's for you."

He wondered if his mom had planned all this, timing her call to coincide with the exact moment that Cid had arrived, and on the same day that the card came in his mailbox. Though the mess in his apartment betrayed his genes, his mother was, if nothing else, impeccably organized. To pull off an assault of this caliber required careful planning and military-like precision, and it was executed flawlessly. She didn't leave him any choice; it was all but certain that he would be returning home now that Cid was here.

"Yeah, Aerith?" Cid answered. "Is that so? Ha, you don't have to worry about a thing. Don't worry. I ain't letting him outta my sight for even one second, you can be sure of that! If he does anything funny, I'll give him a good smacking."

Cid was a friend of the family. He had Sora call him "Uncle Cid" or he'd smack him. He was a friend of Sora's father, god bless his soul, and had been a fixture in his life. He was a dirty, swearing, chain-smoking engineer who worked at the air yard. Sora remembered being taken on private airplane rides around the island. It was fun, but Cid had a penchant for smacking kids. Sora's mom allowed Cid free reign to smack the poor boy around, because according to her, "_A little discipline now and then is always good for the soul._"

"Really? It'll probably take a day. This damn Garden's the furthest thing from Destiny Islands than the moon. Okay, bye." Cid turned off the phone and tossed it over to Sora, almost catching him by surprise. "You're comin' with me. Oh, and your mom says she loves you."

"Gee, thanks," he deadpanned.

Cid didn't give him time to pack (not like he had much, but it was the principle) and dragged him off to the airport. Before he knew it, he was on a plane flying over an endless blue. They were riding in Cid's personal propeller plane, aptly named the "Highwind." The cockpit was small, big enough for only two people, and it quickly wore out its welcome, becoming nothing more than a cramped prison for the trip. The first few minutes were interesting enough. Soaring through his namesake was initially exhilarating, but the never-ending unchanging scenery of the ocean bored him quickly.

The bad thing about living so far away was that it was so damn far away. It took an excess of fifteen hours to get back home, which meant that he didn't go home often. His mom would piss and moan about him getting back on the holidays, but he only agreed to return on the condition that Riku and Kairi weren't there. The worst thing about long flights was the limited range of activities. He wasn't a rock. He didn't have that special talent to drop dead asleep at any moment and at any place. He was an insomniac. He would stay in bed, stare at the ceiling, and run around new story ideas. It was rare that he had more than four hours of sleep. Every waking moment was spent churning away at the computer for the next chapter. The publisher loved that he met every deadline and even preempted them sometimes—it wasn't like they knew he was missing a lifetime of sleep to get the job done.

Until he had to go to the hospital for kidney stones. Apparently, staying up late wasn't healthy for the body. The incident freaked out the the publisher. They sent some assistants to check up on him every so often, just to make sure he was alive and kicking. They were a couple of oddballs; Goofy was a tall, lanky man who was always in good humor, and Donald was a short man who complained about everything. His diminutive stature was probably the source of his temperament, but he did his job, giving Sora focus when he needed it. They were great company, and the only few friends he had in Radiant Garden. They actually seemed care about him. He wondered if it was out of friendship or loyalty to the company. In either case, he was grateful for their presence. He should give them a call so they wouldn't freak out when they find him missing.

He didn't know what to expect when they would finally arrive at their destination. Would _they_ be there? Or would it be just his mom? He was getting anxious, his mind coming up with all kinds of scenarios. He became jittery as the plane approached the horizon, afraid of the moment when the land mass called Destiny Islands would rise from the sea like a monument dedicated to his past failures. Feeling a bit of cabin fever, his eyes nervously flitted around the cockpit; he wasn't prepared for this. He had to get out.

"Calm down there," a gruff voice said.

Sora turned to the pilot. "What?"

"I know how 'yer feeling, but getting all antsy about it ain't gonna do you any favors up here."

"You know how I'm feeling?" he replied incredulously, "I don't even know how I'm feeling."

The pilot snorted. "I don't know what went down between you and them, but it ain't gonna do you any good to run away from it. If you gotta problem, you gotta work it out. Smack it around a little."

Cid's idea of solving problems revolved around some form of smacking. Engine don't work? Smack it. Kid too cheeky? Smack him. Waitress with a cute butt? Smack—well, you get the idea. How to smack something as intangible as a "problem" was beyond Sora's comprehension, but he had learned to accept any words of wisdom from Cid as gospel.

"A man always confronts his problems head-on, only a fuc-," he paused for a moment, "freaking idiot runs away."

Sora looked at him intently. "What the hell was that?" he asked with a teasing smile. He never knew Cid to be one to censor himself, and if he did, it usually had to do with his wife, Shera.

Cid turned away, almost in embarrassment. "I guess you don't know. Shera's got me by the balls, saying my swearin' days are over."

"I thought she didn't care?"

"True, but—how can I put this… She's pregnant."

"Pregnant? But I thought she was-"

"Shut yer mouth if you know what's good for you!"

It was long thought that Aunt Shera was sterile from her days working as a rocket scientist. She had volunteered as part of the group of astronauts who launched into space for the first time. Nobody thought to account for solar radiation., and the price of becoming the first female astronaut was a heavy one. When Cid found out, he almost killed the man in charge of the project. Sora suspected this was why Cid acted the way he did, and because of that, he could forgive him for being such a hardass, but only by a slim margin.

Shera took it in stride and made the best of it. She was a kind woman and made an unlikely pair with Cid. She balanced out his bad parts with her good qualities, and her pies were delicious.

"It's a damned miracle," Cid said quietly.

"Congratulations," Sora offered. "I guess she doesn't want you to cuss around the baby?"

"That's right. But don't let this distract you from what I was sayin'. Deal with your problems and don't let it affect the rest of us. I'm getting tired of keeping you outta trouble. You selfish git."

Sora laughed. Selfish? That described him pretty well.

They had to make a stop to refuel, landing in Traverse Town, the unofficial halfway point between Radiant Garden and Destiny Islands.

"I gotta put some gas in the tank, this might take awhile, so you should probably go get something to eat or take a piss," Cid informed. "We meet back in two hours. If yer not here, then yer dead. Now get outta here." He shoved the brunet out of the cockpit. Without waiting for a reply, Cid drove the bird away, leaving Sora on his own for a couple hours.

"What to do now?" he mused to himself. He should call Donald and Goofy before they started panicking. He needed a phone, but there wasn't any in sight. Sora sighed. Cid had left him stranded on the runway. He spotted a building in the distance. It was the airport terminal.

After a long trek, he reached the building, out of breath and woefully aware of his lack of endurance. Note to self: exercise more. The airport building, despite its magnificent size, was packed with people. The high glass ceilings did nothing to alleviate the lack of space on the floor, but it allowed the sunlight to pour in, illuminating the interior brightly. Steel beams formed a canopy of crisscrosses above the terminal. Giant windows offered a generous view of the runway, where enormous jetliners could be seen taking off and landing. Digital LED signs graced the walls and flight information scrolled across the screens.

Streams of passengers and security guards came from opposite directions, forming a turbulent mass of traffic that blocked his view. He entered the throngs of fast-moving legs and luggage and was almost swept away. After stumbling through the crowd, he found a row of phone booths against a wall. He dug into his pocket for precious change but discovered that he'd left his wallet on the plane.

"Dammit." He inserted his fingers in the coin return slots. He felt like a bum slumming for change. He went down the line of phones but found nothing. He had no choice but to dial collect.

"Um, excuse me?" a faint voice called out from behind. He turned to see a young woman. He didn't know if he was still reeling from his walk or if she just that beautiful, but he found it hard to breathe. Blonde tresses fell on her shoulders like a golden waterfall and her skin shone like pearls, a milky shade that appeared unnaturally smooth and painted. She wore a simple white sundress, straps slung over her shoulders, with the bottom billowing out. Most arresting were her blue eyes, which reminded him of another set. It took him awhile to realize that her palm was out with several quarters in it.

"Oh!" It had been a long time since he was around people, much less a girl—and an attractive one at that. His awkwardness was excusable. "Sorry about that." He took the offered quarters into his hands. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She turned away and left with her luggage in tow. She seemed familiar but he pushed the feeling aside. Inserting the quarters in, he dialed the number for Donald. After several rings on the other end, a quacky voice answered.

"Hello?" It was Donald.

"Is it Sora?" Goofy's voice asked in the background.

"Yeah it's me," Sora replied.

"It IS him!" Donald cried out. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Traverse Town."

"What the heck are you doing all the way out there?"

"I got invited to a wedding. I'm calling to let you guys know."

"A wedding?" Donald said.

"A wedding?" Goofy repeated.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Sora started, "but let's just say I didn't have a choice in the matter. Sorry for the short notice. You can tell Mickey to delay the deadline by a week or two." He heard them have a small discussion.

"Hey, Sora," Donald asked, sounding uncharacteristically worried, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied, surprised at the question. "Something wrong?"

"It's just that on your computer, there's a bunch of random letters."

Random letters? Sora recalled the story his forehead wrote and he chuckled. "Oh that, can you do me a favor and turn off the computer for me?" Cid had dragged him off so fast; he forgot to turn it off. "Actually, can you guys just look after the apartment? I was in a rush to leave so I didn't have time to make sure everything was turned off."

"Oh, sure. You want us to clean up your mess too?" Donald asked sarcastically.

"If you want," he said, laughing afterward. "To be honest, Donald, the story's on hold. I wasn't really getting anywhere. This might be a good break for me. Try and clear my head a little bit."

"Alright, I'll talk to Mickey about it. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Thanks."

"Is there anything else I should know?" Donald asked.

"Not really."

"Okay then, have a good trip." Somehow, Sora doubted that. "…and Sora?"

"What is it?"

"Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, I will. Bye." He hung up the phone. Maybe they did care.

He took stock of his lively surroundings and felt a little claustrophobic. He left the phone booths and made his way to the large glass windows. He watched idly, seeing planes land and take off, until his stomach growled. He realized he hadn't eaten anything since they departed from Radiant Garden. He was hungry and tired. He stared longingly at one of the nearby vending machines. Without his wallet, he had no money.

"Oh, it's you again?" It was the same gentle voice that helped him earlier. She followed his line of sight to the vending machines and giggled. His cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Do you need some money?" Searching for coins already made him feel like a bum; her act of charity just cemented it.

"Sorry about that." He accepted her dollar. "It's just… I kinda forgot my wallet on the plane."

"That's okay, but shouldn't you try to get your wallet back?"

"I came here on a private plane. We stopped here to refuel." He walked over to the machine and slid the dollar in. He punched one of the buttons and a bottle of cherry coke plopped out.

"I see. Where are you going?"

"Destiny Islands." He took a refreshing gulp.

"What a coincidence, I'm heading over there too."

"Really? What are the odds of that?"

"Actually, I'm originally from the islands. It's kind of a homecoming for me," she revealed. That was remarkably similar to his situation. Could she be going there for the same reason he was?

"Are you going for a wedding?"

Her eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "That's the reason I'm going back."

She stared, making him uncomfortable, until the clarity of realization hit her eyes. "You're Sora!" He looked at her awkwardly, since he didn't know her, or at least he didn't think he did. "S-sorry about that, I guess you don't remember me? We were classmates in high school."

He couldn't recall the young beauty before him. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I don't remember you at all."

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't too memorable in school," she admitted softly, "I'm not surprised you don't remember me."

That made him feel even worse. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "If its any consolation, I'll definitely remember you now."

"You were always so cheery," she mused. He detected something off about that statement. "I used to be very quiet in high school; I still kind of am today. It sounds dumb, but I was always jealous that you got along with the others so well."

He blinked in confusion, unable digest what he heard. "Are you sure it was me?"

She laughed in reply. "It was always you."

In his mind, he held the shape of himself from ten years ago. He could see a boy who was always joking , never serious, and having fun. He would grin like there was nothing wrong, but Sora knew the truth. Away from everybody's attention, the smiles fell, and behind the mask was a tired face. This boy was so unfamiliar, so distant, it was like he was from another world, another time, another place.

"The 7:00 o'clock flight to Destiny Islands is now boarding," a digitized voice alerted.

"Oh! That's my flight," she announced. She stood up with her luggage. "I guess I'll see you at the wedding?"

"Hopefully. Nice meeting you, er…"

"Naminé" She extended her hand.

He smiled and shook it. "I hope we meet again, Naminé." She nodded and left. He kept watch over her figure until she disappeared into the crowd. He frowned as he recalled his past, dredged from the dregs of his mind. "Still just a kid…" he whispered to himself. Glancing at the clock on the digital sign, he almost did a double-take. He was going to be late!

He was out of breath on the runway. He didn't realize how much time he had spent talking with Naminé. Meeting her reminded of him of the dark cloud that was cast over his high school days. The Highwind approached from the other end of the field. The plane finally stopped and Cid prompted him to get in.

"I was worried you weren't going to show up," Sora told the pilot as he took his seat.

"That's my line," the blond said with a grunt. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The plane lifted off the Traverse Town runway and set a course for Destiny Islands.


	3. Memory Lane

**Memory Lane  
**

Run away.

It was Sora's first thought, but Uncle Cid's firm hand kept him rooted to the ground. They had arrived, safe and sound, in the dreaded Destiny Islands. They landed on Cid's personal runway, which was located in the industrial district. It wasn't anywhere near the beach boardwalks that were plastered on travel brochures, instead, it shared company with ominous steel plants, gray factories, and bare mountainsides.

It was the brook of dawn, and the sun cast long rays, making everything glow with a depressing shade of orange. It was supposed to be the start of a new day, a fresh start, like a rebirth, but the orange light made everything gloomy. That probably had more to do with Sora's state of mind than anything else.

When they landed, Sora refused to leave the cockpit, which forced Cid to tear him out like a petulant weed. Sora tried to run away but Cid would have none of it. He gave chase and eventually tackled Sora into the hard asphalt. After a proper smacking, they found themselves standing next to the Highwind, with Cid's vice-like grip on Sora's shoulder. Since Shera wasn't around, Cid allowed himself a reprieve and let loose a litany of cusses that would reduce the most stout-hearted sailor into a quivering pile of sissy.

With all thoughts of escape suspended, at least in Uncle Cid's presence, Sora was anxious. The closer they had gotten to Destiny Islands, the more bizarre his scenarios had become, but now that he was here, his mind was blank. He didn't have to wait long when a bright yellow taxi cab emerged from the distance. It drove nonchalantly at high speeds until it braked hard, swerving into a 180-degree spin, kicking up clouds of dirt in the process, and stopping several yards short of the duo. Momentarily stunned by the taxi driver's stunt driving, he was jolted out of his awe when the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman in the backseat. She had emerald eyes that shone with warmth, brunette hair that spun down the sides of her youthful face, and a long braid that trailed behind her head. She was dressed in a simple but radiant yellow sundress with flower petals adorning the fabric. The hem touched her ankles, and on her feet were plain white sandals. It was his mom.

"Sora!" she exclaimed, enthusiastic at the sight of her estranged son. Cid shoved him towards his mother and she quickly wrapped him in a hug. "Honestly, the least you can do is say 'hi' when you see me." He was relieved and happy to see his mom, and even happier to see that it was just his mom. For all his scenarios, it turned out to be plainest one.

"Hi, mom. It's good to see you. I just wish it were under better circumstances," he joked. She frowned disapprovingly. "I'm just kidding!" He raised his hands in defense.

"Always nice to see yer Aerith," interrupted Cid.

She turned to the broad man and offered a bright smile. "Nice to see you too, I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"No worries, all he needs is a good smacking every now and then, right kid?" He gave Sora a shit-eating grin. The depressed brunet only replied with a sour look.

"How's Shera by the way?" Aerith asked.

"She's a bit moody, but don't tell her I said that."

The young mother laughed good-naturedly. "I won't." She sealed her lips with an invisible zipper.

"I don't know about you, but I gotta go get this bird refueled, I'll see you later." He began walking towards the Highwind.

"I see. Bye now, and give Shera my regards!" Seeing that her son wasn't saying anything, she scolded him, "Say goodbye Sora!"

He rolled his eyes. "Bye Cid."

"That's Uncle Cid to you, lil punk," and with that, the pilot drove the metal bird towards the maintenance hangar, leaving son and mother on the runway.

The ride back home was loud and irritating. His mom blathered on about all the people he used to know, or at least all the people she thought he used to know—he barely recognized half the names she was spouting. He tuned his mom out but felt a little guilty since he was partially responsible for her incessant prattling, if only because he failed to keep her company by gallivanting around Radiant Garden for the past few years. His mom was strong, that much he knew, but even she got lonely sometimes. He was indebted to her. It was only her support that allowed him to leave Destiny Islands in the first place. She always backed his decisions, even if she didn't agree; for that he was grateful.

He stared out the window and watch the scenery sail by. He knew this ride was on borrowed time. Sooner or later, he would have to face the music; he would prefer that it would be later rather than sooner. The more landmarks he recognized, the more nervous he was getting. He wasn't prepared for this—he needed more time to think—things were going too fast!

Traffic was light during this time of the day, and the cab showed no signs of slowing down. He couldn't escape from the airplane but a car was different. He eyed the door handle. It would be risky but worth it, if he could just have an extra hour or two, he might be able to make sense of it all. Sure the cab was moving at least 50 miles per hour, but he'd been through much worse—the scar on his head could attest to that much. The prospect of escape was too tempting. His hand hovered above the handle.

"Are you listening to me Sora?"

He had almost forgotten—his mom was beside him.

"Not really."

She sighed. "You can at least do me the courtesy of saying you are, even if you aren't."

"It's not a courtesy to lie, mom."

"I give up," she said, throwing her hands up in defeat. The ride continued in comfortable silence for a few moments, but his mom displayed the resilience of Rocky Balboa, and sure enough, she began babbling nonsense again. He should throw in the white towel.

Junkyards and decrepit warehouses turned into beachside resorts, restaurants, and souvenir shops. The taxi was moving from the industrial district towards the beach, and after that, it'll probably go up the hills to his old neighborhood. As the old sights and sounds flew by, his consciousness slipped into the past. It was the small things—the colors, the mom-and-pop corner shops, the ice cream parlor, the kids playing on the street—it drew him in, that familiar feeling, the bittersweet sting of nostalgia. It threatened to overtake him, almost overriding his desire to scram. Almost. If he had only done things differently, maybe he wouldn't have driven himself into such a hole. Living each day, constantly trying to justify to himself that things were okay when they really weren't, wasn't the way he wanted to go out.

The cab pulled up to a quaint house of two stories. It was the old Hikari family homestead, and it hadn't changed much since the last time he saw it. The lawn grass out front was unnaturally groomed and perfect, like it was transplanted from a luxury golf course, but he knew it was the result of his mother's tendering—she was, after all, a florist of the highest degree. Adding to the floral perfection were colorful patches set against the walls, neatly trimmed bushes that separated the house from the neighbors, and a cobble stone path outlined with beautiful flowers. He smiled at the impeccable garden-work; she hadn't lost her touch. There was clear talent on display, and he was dead-certain that Kairi had contracted his mom for the wedding floral arrangement.

The neighboring houses were quite droll by comparison, but they made an admirable effort of standing out. It was a nice little suburb; the houses riding the curves that sprawled throughout the island hills. They lived quite a ways inland, away from the flat coastal areas, but what it made up for in distance from the beach was the great view. From the house, he could practically see the entire ocean.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Aerith announced, startling him out of his thoughts, "the wedding couple is in there, go in there and say hi to them okay?" He could barely process the words when she merrily pushed him out of the car. "I'll get the rest of your luggage." The moment of truth. Should he run? It wasn't like anything was holding him back. He could just run down the sidewalk if he wanted to. A deep sense of fatigue sank into his muscles. There was no time like the present. Everything was leading up to this moment. What else can he do but heed the call? He climbed up the concrete slope, passing an unfamiliar car on the driveway, and made his way to the front door, making sure not to stomp on any flowers.

He took a brief look around, realizing the subtle changes that had taken hold since the passage of time. His mom was a florist, and not a carpenter, which explained the peeling paint and cracks scurrying along the walls like spider webs. The colors faded and broke apart, and the mounted mailbox was tilting at an angle.

He knocked on the door. Was this the proper procedure? It was his home, but there were guests inside. Before he could go through any more mental posturing, he was met with the sight of a girl.

The most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

It was Kairi.

The picture of the flighty girl, who cried her eyes out saying goodbye when he left for Radiant Garden years ago, was completely shattered. It was now replaced with the veritable goddess that stood before him. Luxurious auburn hair ran down the length of her neck, shining with a mirror sheen that almost blinded the poor fool. Her face was more mature, the baby fat having all but evaporated through time, but it was still as beautiful as he remembered. Her soft pink lips formed an 'o,' and her blue orbs widened in surprise, which quickly brightened into relief. He was immediately thrown into a bear hug of suffocating proportions.

"SORA! I haven't seen you in such a long time!" Her arms held on to him for dear life, as if he would disappear if she didn't. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, allowing him to pick up the scent of her shampoo—strawberries, nice fragrance. Damp moisture formed against his skin, and small sobs were heard from the girl. His expression pained as he wrapped his arms around her, assuring her that he wouldn't disappear this time. To think that the last time he saw her, she was crying just the same as she was now, though, for wildly different reasons. He closed his eyes, feeling her warmth, drawing her whole being against him. If he could just die at this moment, maybe all those regrets, all those terrible memories, all those years of misery and suffering would finally disappear. Maybe.

"Yo." Or not, why did he have to come and spoil the party? Riku, with one hand up in the air, greeted Sora. His trademark silver hair was shorter than it used to be, now cut from the neck down instead of reaching the small of his back. The brunet gave him a small stare, not used to the new look. The groom-to-be rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'm getting married, I had to cut it." Sora gave a wan smile. It was quickly wiped from his face when Kairi punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"Where the hell have you been?" she yelled, "Do you realize how long you've been gone?" Rubbing the sore spot, he saw tiny droplets leaking from the corner of her eyes. He felt terrible but at the same time, he was kind of glad to see that Kairi hadn't changed one bit, she was still as fiery as ever.

"A really long time?" he cracked. She frowned and moved again. He flinched but was surprised when her arms wrapped around him for the second time.

"Don't be so quick to leave this time…" she pleaded softly.

"I can't make any promises…" he offered back weakly, partly because of the emotion, but mostly because his lungs were getting crushed. He gave a look to Riku that screamed "let me out!"

"Kairi, you're choking him," he warned. She turned to her fiancé and stuck out her tongue.

"Good! Then maybe he'll stay for good this time," she childishly quipped back. She relaxed the hug, giving the human pillow some room to breathe.

"Thanks for the save," he grinned.

"No problem."

Sora took the time to finally look over his two best friends. They were older, taller, and more mature than he remembered. Taking a page from his mother's conservative wardrobe, Kairi wore a violet dress that touched her knees, a small belt wrapped around her midsection, and a pink sweater that sat on her shoulders. Riku, ever the smart dresser, was clad in a yellow shirt; the loose collar revealing his neck, and wore black slacks.

"You guys look good," he complimented.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Riku joked, eying the brunet's admittedly lame ensemble. He was still wearing the same faded clothes from before; it wasn't as if Cid gave him a chance to change. Riku approached and casually slung an arm around the other man's shoulders. "It's nice to have you back!" Sora smiled in return. It was all too familiar. Despite the fact that he had abandoned them, cut himself off, and essentially dropped off from the face of the earth, they still welcomed him back with open arms and genuine smiles. Even though they had all the reasons in the world to hate him; they didn't. It was almost as if he never left. He was kind of disappointed that they weren't in a rage, assailing him with unanswerable questions or throttling him in righteous fury. Instead, all he got was a small shot in the arm and a pat on the back. He had to wonder if these people were insane. Were it anybody else, he'd probably be on his knees begging for forgiveness. For all the pain and envy he harbored, he just couldn't bring himself to hate them; they were too kind. He didn't deserve to be their friends.

"Seriously Sora, where have you been? I kept asking your mom but she wouldn't say anything. I even asked where to send the wedding invitation but she said she'd take care of it." He blinked at the auburn girl. So his mom didn't tell them where he lived after all, electing to handle the matter herself. He frowned again. Another regret: doubting your own mom.

"After you disappeared, we never heard from you again. Not so much as even a word. That hurts you know, it really hurts," Riku shook emphatically. "You wound me." It was all in good humor, but there was still a tinge of seriousness underneath the jokes. They were definitely curious, but they didn't want to press him too hard lest they scare him away for another five years.

"I just needed some time alone, for my career," he offered. It wasn't a great excuse, but it was still partially true. "Congratulations on the marriage, I knew it was coming some day." Riku smiled.

"Well it was all thanks to you that we got together in the first place." Don't remind me. "Actually, the reason we're here wasn't just to say hello to you for the first time in half a decade, although that's a big part of it but," the couple looked at each other and nodded, "we want you to do a favor for us." Uh oh.

"A favor?"

"Yeah. You're the only one that I can trust with this, so I want you to really think about it." Sora's curiosity was piqued, what could they possibly need him for?

"What is it?"

Riku grinned.

"We want you to be the best man." He did not just—how can he ask about such a—the sheer nerve! The brown haired author was stunned with the preposition, his mouth wide open as if a blow had been delivered to his gut.

"Wait! What? I don't-,"

"Don't think, just do it! Tidus was a stand-in for awhile; just in case you didn't show but now that you're here, it just wouldn't feel right any other way." His eyes went from Riku's optimistic grin to Kairi's hopeful gaze. It was obvious, they had planned this; they wanted to spring the trap on him while he was still gathering his bearings. How completely unfair, you can't just ambush a guy like this!

"Please Sora; if not for Riku, then for me," the redhead pleaded. Kairi was his weakness. How could he say no? His constitution crumbled spectacularly before her simple plea, he wasn't built for this kind of assault. All those years had done nothing to thicken his skin, and the soft spot he had for her was still there, nothing had changed.

"Don't I have to attend a rehearsal or something," he asked, trying to logically remove himself from the running as best man, a position that he really didn't want to take. It felt more like a rub in the face than an honor to be honest.

"Don't worry about it, you just have to stand there and give me the ring. Look, you're my best friend. You gotta do me this one small favor."

"You still think of me as your best friend?" he replied incredulously.

"Of course! It doesn't matter how far you are, or how long you're gone, nothing's gonna change the fact that you'll always be my best friend!" Way to lay it on thick. After that, saying "no" would just make me feel like a dick.

"I wouldn't say it was small but…I guess I'll do it."

"Thank god, you almost had me there for a moment man. Don't worry, when you get married, I'll return the favor, two times over!" Two times over? Is he saying my first marriage will fail?

"Very generous of you, but-,"

Riku's cell phone rang. "Ah, sorry about this," he apologized as he answered. He listened for a little while until he screamed out "WHAT?" and turned to Kairi, "sorry sweetie, but there's been a problem."

"Is it serious?"

"No, don't even worry about it. Try not to go crazy," he teased. "I'll see to it personally." He gave Sora one last pat on the back before leaving, "Nice to have you back, really. Don't let her worry too much. You should've seen her weeks ago, she was going ballistic. I had to tie her down and tell her that I would take care of everything."

"Riku!" Her face was red.

"Love you too sweetheart," he smirked, and with that he up and disappeared to resolve who-knows-what. It was just the two of them now, and they stood in an awkward silence.

"You must be tired now," the redhead suddenly started, "why don't you sit down?" He found it kind of funny being offered a seat in his own house but he followed Kairi into the living room anyways. The living room didn't change much, a big green sofa sat across the floor, a small coffee table in front, and a LED TV—well that was new—stood in all of its HD glory against the wall. He settled himself in the couch, sinking back into familiarity. She watched him, amused, as she leant against a wall. "Comfortable?"

"You bet." He felt the fatigue melt away, the toll of the plane ride slowly dripping off and absorbed by the cushions. He had almost drifted off to la-la land until he remembered that Kairi, the love of his life, was about to be married and standing in his living room. He opened an eye to spy on her; she looked tentative, uncomfortable, and slightly…nervous? He couldn't blame her; they hadn't seen each other in a long time. "You guys must be busy with the preparation. Sorry you had to go out of your way like this," he apologized. She blinked.

"Oh, that's fine. God, it's just…I haven't seen you in such a long time you know? I almost feel like I've forgotten your face." She backed off the wall and approached the boy, taking a seat beside him, and gently placed her hands on the sides of his face, feeling it as if she were blind. "This is real isn't it?" He had hurt her. To see Kairi like this was tearing him up inside. He could never do anything right. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide, and he couldn't face his problems without anyone getting hurt. That was him alright—just a kid who could do nothing except hurt everybody around him.

"Yeah, it's real." At least for now.

"I actually have this old photo of you," she started. She dug into her purse for a few moments, and pulled out an old photograph of them back in high school. "I look at this sometimes; just to remind myself that you still exist." She handed the image to him, saving him the trouble of trying to tilt his head for a good angle. His fingers ran over the surface as he saw himself, a fresh-faced wide-eyed youth who had nothing but hope for the future. He was in his school uniform, a white button shirt and blue slacks. His left arm was in a cast from the car accident. Beside him stood Kairi, who slung an arm over his shoulder and smiled at the camera.

"This is pretty old. Don't have anything recent of me?"

"Yeah, but I really like this photo." He could see why, it was probably the last time he gave a real smile. The photo was taken before she and Riku got together after all. It was a snapshot of the last time he had some semblance of hope. The youth in the photo was a complete stranger to him now. The optimistic glint, the cheesy grin, no care in the world, he felt sorry for the poor bastard; he'd never see it coming. "I've missed you…"

"I…I guess I've missed you too…"

"You guess?"

"I mean, I do."

Unsettled, she turned away from him and folded her arms. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you, but I'm kind of afraid."

"That's odd, coming from you."

"Shut up. This is serious. Ever since Riku and I got together, I always noticed that you gave me this look, like you were angry with me." Crap. Did she notice? He didn't like where this was going, so he kept his mouth shut. "I want to know Sora…do you…" He clenched his eyes, unwilling to hear what she may have long suspected, "Do you hate me?"

"What?" he cried incredulously. Out of all the things he expected to hear, that was the last thing. Wiping sweat from his brow, he was relieved. Then again, love and hate were close siblings; it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say they were one and the same. "Of course not. What on earth made you think that silly thought?" he asked, truly curious.

"You don't hate me?" she let out a sigh. "That's great; it's honestly been bothering me for a long time now," she confessed. "I always thought you were mad at me for taking your best friend away from you, I knew you and Riku were always so close. It felt like I was intruding." Was she serious? The shocked look on Sora's face slowly melted, dripping into a wry chuckle, and then quickly splashed into full blown laughter. Not expecting the reaction, her face reddened in embarrassment, "What's so funny?" He tried to keep calm long enough to string together a coherent sentence, but random spurts of laughter would strike him sporadically.

"I'm sorry, but it's just…believe it or not, you have always been my best friend. It wasn't Riku, it was always you. I love you Kairi," he confessed easily (obviously within the context of being "best friends"), "but you oughta be ashamed of yourself for thinking otherwise." She looked abashed, like a child who let her parents down, even though she really didn't. An invisible burden had finally lifted from her shoulders, and for the first time in a while she breathed easy. She beamed at the man sitting on the couch.

"Thanks…I really needed to hear that. But Riku isn't going to be so happy since he always thought of you as his best friend."

"I probably am his best friend, but as far as best friends go, you're mine."

"Guess that makes the two of us best buddies huh?"

He was surprised though, to think that Kairi had to carry that burden for the last ten years. He didn't just hurt himself by leaving, he hurt everybody he knew. He thought that by running away, he would contain the misery to himself. Apparently he couldn't even sever his ties properly, leaving loose ends to fester in the insecure minds of his friends and family alike.

"I'm sorry that I ever left, or that I never contacted you or anything. I've been an idiot haven't I?"

"That's true. But it's okay, now that you're here. I'm sure you had your reasons." She was just too kind. He almost couldn't take it. He felt like she should be yelling at him, hurling profanities in his face and make an effort to make him feel terrible. Then again, the kind-hearted approach drove all kinds of daggers into his heart, so he probably shouldn't be complaining.

He had returned only to find out that things have, more or less, not changed at all. Kairi and Riku were still a strong couple, with nothing but love for each other, and Sora himself was still "just a kid." Still in love with his best friend, still playacting happy, and still miserable inside. The fact that he hadn't moved at all made him feel even worse than knowing that Kairi was going to be married. It just showed that he couldn't move on, that he was stuck in the same place and it remained to be seen if he could ever drag himself out the ditch he dug for himself. Life wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. He just wished—

Her phone began to ring.

"Hello? Riku?" She listened over the phone for several minutes. "I thought you said you could handle it? You're terrible you know that? Fine, whatever, bye." She looked to Sora. "Sorry about that, Riku's just helpless without me."

"You were always such a hard worker," he said, smiling, remembering her days on the student council.

"And you were always such a slacker! I have to go sort the issue out. Since you're the best man, we have to get you fitted tomorrow."

"I can't just bring my own suit?"

"No way, the groomsmen have to match the groom. We've already picked out the outfit; all you have to do is get measured. Do you remember that bridal shop that we always used to walk by whenever we went to school?" He scanned his memories for such a thing.

"You mean the one with the dress that you always stared at?"

She nodded happily. "I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on that dress, I was destined to wear it. That's where we're going. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning okay?"

"Sounds like a plan. When's the wedding again?"

"Next week, don't forget!" she immediately hustled out. Moments later, his mom walked in and poked her head in the living room.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" He looked at his mom dully. "Well you must be tired, why don't go get some rest?" He followed her advice.

After dredging his way up the stairs, he found his old bedroom. Pushing it open, he saw that things were preserved. Ambling over, he collapsed on his bed and blacked out.

The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted through the air, stirring him mildly awake. His body creaked and ached, exhaustion evident from the plane trip, as well as the emotional fatigue of facing his old friends again. He groaned, trying to loosen up his joints. Looking out the window, he noticed that the sun was still up, actually, it was morning again. He must've slept the whole day and night. He realized his wardrobe hadn't changed from that fateful day, he never had time to take a shower—well, it was time to correct that. He opened one of his luggage cases and grabbed whatever clothes were there and dragged his heels to the bathroom.

As the hot water shot against his face, he finally had time to think. The situation was surreal, in a way, he always knew it would happen but he never thought that it would come so fast. He stood, eyes closed, letting the water wash over him. He always had a terrible habit of putting things off. Never mind the fact that he was an author, and that he regularly met his deadlines well before they were due, he put off the things that really mattered—like dealing with the fact that his love life has been one giant spectacular failure. It wasn't like he was moving forward at all; he was walking backwards, in circles, just ending up in the same place over and over. He turned the water off and stared at the drain, watching the water swirl and disappear into the porcelain floor. He was hungry.

"Glad to see you're up and early," she greeted. Sora stared at the bride-to-be, sitting at his dining room table, stuffing pancakes and sausages into her mouth. Wondering why she was there, he recalled yesterday's events and did a mental "oh." He took a seat and observed his mom behind the kitchen counter, preparing breakfast over the frying pan, the bacon sizzling in oil, giving off a great smell that tugged at his stomach.

The kitchen wasn't anything special, carrying the standard assortment of high cabinets, smooth countertops, and stainless steels sinks; though, touches of his mom's decorative sensibility were apparent from the strategically placed potted plants, floral patterned designs adorning the kitchen cloth, along with the wealth of light admitted by the open windows. Back in high school, he would always wake up to find Kairi eating his breakfast. She was always an early bird, and he the late worm.

"Some breakfast?" his mom offered, a plate of eggs, pancakes, sausages, and bacon—truly a mouth watering meal, manna from heaven. "Something wrong?"

"It's just weird, not having a bowl of cereal for breakfast," he commented. Living on his own for the last five years or so, he lived on freeze-dry, microwave, instantly-served packaged food. He didn't bother to learn how to cook.

"Well eat up!" That he did, he relished the taste of a home-cooked meal. It almost brought a tear to his eye.

"That sounds great Ms. Hikari." He chewed down on his pancakes, lightly listening in on his mom and Kairi discussing the details of the floral arrangement.

"It's no problem."

"So you ready Sora?" The redhead's phone blared. "Actually, let me get back to you." She left the kitchen to answer it. Putting another set of eggs in his mouth, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end; his mom was giving a slightly creepy smile.

"What is it?"

"I just wondered how nice it would be if we could always wake up in the morning like this."

"Mom?"

"Kairi's like the daughter I never had. It's just too bad things couldn't work out between you two."

"Mom!" he was red-faced. His mom had figured it out a long time ago, but it was always kind of an unspoken thing. It was always a surprise whenever she brought it up.

"No need to beat around the bush, if only you weren't my son."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father was always the one who got along with just about anyone. He was a cheery, very optimistic, if maybe a little stupid, but a good man. I was the quiet one, always just fiddling with the flowers myself. I guess you inherited my bad genes." He never understood why others always insisted on making excuses for his failures. First Kairi, now his mom? He was more screwed up than he thought.

"You shouldn't say things like that in front of your kids; it could be very disconcerting for them. If it's anybody's fault, its mine and mine alone," he reassured.

"Will you be okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know."

"Whatever happens, you know I'll always love you right?"

"All the time."

"Sora!" a voice from outside yelled. She poked her head in, "you all set?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later mom." She just nodded. As they left the dining room, she turned to an old family portrait with her husband.

"He sure has grown up, hasn't he?"

He followed closely behind, expecting to go by car, but she simply veered past it and began trekking up the sidewalk. She looked back and gave a grin.

"A little bit of exercise will do you some good. You were always so out of shape."

"Still am, unfortunately." It was like old times, they were taking the same route they always did years back, going to Destiny High every morning. Since the neighborhood rested on an incline, you had to hike up the street since it sloped over a hill. After you reached the crest, you could see a good portion of the island, from the glittering beach sands to the looming presence of Destiny High Academy. It was always a little dangerous since cars couldn't see past the hump. They walked in a comfortable silence. His eyes took in the streets and the houses, and the memories came falling back. Every little thing, from the crags and cracks in the asphalt, to the white picket fences, the wind chimes, and the palm trees, all served as small reminders of his high school days. It really was a stroll on memory lane.

"You know, I'm a big fan of your book," she said, breaking the silence.

He decided to play dumb. "Book?"

"No need to be shy about it. I'm talking about the _Keyblade Chronicles_." Was the jig up? How did she find out?

"Was this before or after you found out I was the author?" he joked.

"Your mom recommended it to me; she didn't tell me anything other than it was 'good.' So I did. When I was reading it, I just couldn't shake the feeling that the story came from you. It was like you spoke out to me. It had your voice, your feelings. Somehow I just knew that it was you who wrote it."

"My mom told you didn't she? Fess up."

She laughed.

"I'm being honest. Even if you didn't say anything, the book was enough to make me happy. I knew you were out there, somewhere, following your dream right? I hear the series is real big, they're already calling 'Tetsuya Nomura' the next 'Rowling.'"

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Yeah right, there are already rumors about a movie adaptation flying around. If that isn't success, then I don't know what is." Kairi seemed to be under the false impression that Sora was successful in life, and now that he actually thought about it, being the author of a million-plus selling series of novels wasn't too bad, and with Mickey talking up a storm about a Disney motion picture production of the first book, his lot in life wasn't so bad—if he only had someone to share it with. All the money in the world couldn't even get him the one thing he wanted the most. Great, now he was one of those rich guys who couldn't even use the money to distract himself from his agony. He wasn't the kind of guy to dispense cash like they were pez candies, so it was a moot point.

"Money can't buy happiness." It was a tired expression that people would often roll their eyes at, but it was true, at least for him. He was sure people much smarter than him could buy all the happiness in the world.

"Then I expect your wedding present to be really good, anything less than that and our friendship is off.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." They laughed, falling into the same easy rhythms of conversations past. They would often sit around like this before, just talking about random subjects until the sun went down. He missed these small conversations more than anything else. Even if he couldn't be with her, he would relish these talks. "I really liked the first one."

"Really? I get a lot of fan mail. They tell me the opposite."

"The second was good, but its way too dark."

"People often consider 'The Empire Strikes Back' as the best in the trilogy."

"That's true. It's just that the princess really pisses me off. Did you purposefully make her retarded or something?"

"No, what makes you say that?"

"She fell for the wrong guy." That's ironic; the princess was modeled after Kairi after all, and the "wrong guy" was based on Riku. She might as well be calling herself retarded.

"Oh my god, don't tell me you're one of those hero-princess shippers." The hero, of course, who he modeled after himself, did not have the satisfaction of winning the princess' affection. Some authors write their fiction as wish-fulfillments, but he didn't want to misrepresent himself and decided to let his story reflect the sad state of his life. Stephenie Meyer's _Twilight_ left a bad taste in his mouth and he didn't want to do something as foolish as publish his own fantasies.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Her face was red, as if somebody had made public the embarrassing truth that she still played with little dolls. Did she really…?

"I bet you secretly write fanfiction, just admit it, it would be awfully flattering," he joked.

"Don't be stupid, I haven't written…that much anyways." She dropped her shoulders as she admitted something that even her fiancé didn't know.

"Serious? That's gold!" He let out a litany of laughter. He couldn't believe it. To think that prim and proper Kairi, always studious, fiery, organized, secretly wrote fanfiction of all things—

"Shut up. If I knew you were gonna act this way, I never would've brought it up."

"Why don't you let me read it?"

"No way, it's too embarrassing."

"I'm just teasing you."

"Do you ever read fanfiction about your own stories?" she said, trying to steer the subject off her. He'd let it pass, for now.

"They're always good for a laugh. It's flattering to think that people put in the time to write with my characters, but I always find it unsettling when the hero and dark wielder find a sudden homoerotic attraction to each other." She only laughed in response.

"In either case, the princess and the dark wielder don't belong together. If only the hero would actually tell her how he feels, then they would be happy." Are you trying to tell me something Kairi?

"The hero is quite flawed isn't he? But it's the flaw that also makes him so interesting," he tried to explain. To be honest, he had a suspicion that the readers enjoyed the hero's suffering, who wants to read about happiness and rainbows?

"I think it's about time the author fixed his flaw then."

"Unfortunately writing's a business. The fans wanted them together so they get to be together. Too bad you picked the losing side."

"You're still working on the third aren't you? What happens?"

"Don't know."

"I thought we were best friends? Don't you trust me?"

"I really don't know. I'm still working on it. I've had just about the worst writer's block I could possibly have. If I could get over this hump, then everything might fall into place. Who knows? I might finally find the ending I've been looking for on Destiny Islands."

They finally reached the bridal shop. The sign on top spelled out the name of the place quite plainly: "Fairy Godmother's Bridal."

"Just like old times huh?" He looked at Kairi, standing before the pane glass like she did all those times ago. The woman disappeared, and before him emerged a little girl, dressed in a school uniform, hands against the glass, sight enraptured by a pristine white wedding gown on the other side. "Come on, what are you waiting for?" She was already at the door, waiting for him to get out of his daze.

The door opened with a small chime. The inside of the shop was cozy, if a little stuffy, probably because of all the fabric and plastic that hung around them. Rows and rows of black suits, white gossamer cloth, sheets of plastic, cotton tufts, all manner of embroidery stuck out at odds bits and ends. Behind the counter was a plump lady, dressed in a purple cloak and giant red bow around her neck. She looked at the visitors, and drew a great smile.

"Oh dear lord, is that who I think it is?" She quickly sidled her way over in front of Sora and examined his face closely. He leaned back at the close proximity. "It IS you!" she cried out. She grabbed his cheeks and began laughing. "My, how you've grown!"

"Nice to see you too Ms. Fairy," he drawled out between the squeezing. Kairi giggled at the display.

"I knew this was going to happen."

"You look quite adorable," she scanned his body, "but you need to eat more, you're all skin and bones!" He didn't exactly keep a healthy diet. "Ah, but lets get right down to business shall we?" The brunet allowed himself to be pushed in front of a mirror. Ms. Fairy zipped out a tape measure and began wrapping it around his waist, and measured the length of his leg. "Turn around dear." He complied, after a few more turns at measuring, she dropped back. She walked into the aisles and pulled out a tuxedo, "Here, go try this on." He found himself in the fitting room and began changing his clothes. The last time he wore a suit, it was at the gala banquet that Mickey threw for him after the second novel was released. In fact, it was the very same suit he brought over from Radiant Garden; guess he wasn't going to be wearing that now. After tidying up the golden bowtie, he emerged from the fitting room decked out in some considerably nicer threads. He found Kairi and Ms. Fairy staring at him, it was a bit unnerving.

"What?"

"You look…" Ms. Fairy began.

"Fantastic!" Kairi clapped. The store owner nodded in agreement.

"Why, people might mistake you for the groom!" The heat rose to his face—he wasn't used to getting so many compliments. He chalked it up to the stuffy room, and the suit. "Oh, by the way Kairi, there's just one teensy weensy little detail I want to talk to you about."

"About what?" she replied.

"Your wedding dress." The redhead looked surprised. "Oh, it's nothing bad my dear, I just wanted your input on just one thing."

"Okay," she nodded. "Sora, you can change out now, it's definitely a lock," she grinned, with a thumbs up. His eyes followed the two ladies into the back where they had to discuss…whatever about the dress. He turned around to look at himself in the mirror. He looked snazzy. Putting his index fingers together and his thumbs out, he adopted various super spy poses. He shook his head feeling ridiculous.

He tugged at the collar and pulled his jacket off. It really was getting hot. Wanting for some fresh air, he left the store and let the light breeze cool him down. What a weird situation to be in. He had often dreamed of being here with Kairi, although it was them that was getting married—not her and Riku. Life was funny like that, you never know what to expect.

Ring! Ring! A small bell shook him from his reverie. Glancing across the street, he saw a small red-haired tyke riding a tricycle. The toddler pumped his feet in pure glee, absolutely mesmerized at his ability to propel himself forward. It brought a smile to the brunet's face. Had he been like that once? Innocent, care-free, not a worry in the world? Maybe. But such times were long gone now.

The kid slid down the driveway and started to cross the street. Sora's eyebrows rose. That's kind of a dangerous thing to do, especially since the bridal shop lined up close to the top of the hill. He checked the street to see if there were any cars. Even though he couldn't see any, an impulse grabbed him, and he quickly sprung into action, sprinting into the street. The small child looked at the incoming brunet with wide eyes. Sora swung his leg and kicked the tricycle back; sending it barreling against the curb, the kid flew backwards but luckily landed on a patch of grass. The boy sat up, rubbing his head, indignant that a stranger would pull such a stunt and was about to let loose some choice words when he saw the man who kicked him—saved him rather—get hit by a car.


	4. Waking Life

**Chapter 4**

Ding! Ding! Ding!

He could see the aisle, laid out with royal red carpeting, stretch out to a bright door at the end. Rays of light shot out, blindingly ethereal, impossible to see, as if a spotlight was focused on him. He put his hand up to shield his eyes and on the periphery, he saw rows and rows of cushioned church pews. Up above was a grand ceiling, a crisscross of wooden beams, beautiful patterns, and stained glass. There were people around him and they were all standing up. He recognized their faces, but could not recall their names.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sound of church bells reverberated. He tried to move his head, but it was fixed towards the blinding light. He could see the rays that slipped through his fingers shrink and dim. He lowered his hand, realizing that the light was dying. It finally disappeared, revealing a woman at the end.

It was Kairi. She was wearing a majestic gossamer white wedding dress. Her shoulders were bare, and her collarbone exposed with a low neckline. White material draped the rest of her lithe body beautifully. The bottom of the dress pooled at her feet, creating a regal aura. Her amazing auburn hair was tied up in a bun, two lacquer chopsticks keeping her angelic face free from any stray strands of hair. She was overwhelmingly beautiful.

Ding! Ding!

The bells continued to ring, the sound vibrating in his chest. His heart raced as she opened her eyes, revealing deep pools of violet framed by delicately applied mascara. She took a step forward. Her hands tightly grasped a bouquet, a collection of beautiful colors and petals spiraling and swirling in circles. She took another step. The veil that thinly covered her face swayed lightly. Another step forward. She wore white gloves that went up her forearm, ending at the elbow.

Ding!

The closer she was getting, the more his heart wanted to leap out of his chest. His breath was becoming erratic.

Bing!

He was starting to lose it as she got closer. My god, she was just so beautiful.

Beng!

She stopped before him. He wanted to reach out and touch her.

Beep!

A pair of hands opened the veil, allowing her true beauty to shine. A pair of hands? They weren't…his? His eyes followed the hand to the cuff, a black sleeve, leading up to a silver haired man wearing a tuxedo. It was Riku.

Beep.

She wasn't here for him.

Beep.

She was here for Riku.

Beep.

Not him.

Beep.

Riku and Kairi.

Beep.

Not him.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Can somebody turn off that infernal clock? Wait. Clock? That sounded more like…one of those heartbeat monitors in the hospital. Oh, that's right; I just got hit by a car.

The monotonous ping stirred the boy into consciousness—but only a passable state. He was stuck between that realm of waking life and sleeping dead, his mind feebly trying to drag itself from the foggy depths of fatigue and dreams. He struggled to open his eyes but his eyelids were pinned down by an invisible weight. After a brief tussle, he was finally able to open them. He saw nothing. Everything was too blurry. His eyes were still adjusting to the light. It hurt to open them fully, so he slowly widened his eye lids. Squinting and without any focus, details faded and bled into each other, it was Gaussian Blur set to 500%. He was able to make out an indistinct auburn bob bouncing not so far away. The bob scurried about a short while, and seemed to spin towards him. He could feel its presence get closer.

"Hey, are you okay?" That voice. It was very familiar. Almost as if he hadn't heard it ages yet, he was dead-certain it was Kairi's.

"Eegghh…" Wow, he must've been pretty messed up if he couldn't force his vocal cords to produce a sound that resembled anything remotely human. The voice giggled. The next thing he knew, a glass was at his lips, pouring water down his parched throat. He could feel it loosen the pipes a bit, but he wasn't going to attempt speech again for fear of sounding like some delirious drunkard on his deathbed.

"God, you had me worried you know that? Just wait here a moment, I'll go get the doctor." He heard the door shut after her exit. He kept his bleary eyes closed, since anytime he tried to focus; it just looked like somebody smeared Vaseline all over his pupils. That was just great. Getting hit by a car one week before the wedding—was she already married? The fact that she was here either meant—well he didn't know what it meant, other than she cared. Maybe the wedding had passed, or he had gained consciousness just in time. Who knows? That's right; he was still wearing the tuxedo when he got hit. What happened to the clothes anyways? She couldn't have been too happy to see those get ruined. Dammit, he had probably had to pay for it too. Money wasn't an issue anyways—the last thing he remembered seeing was the shiny metal grill of the car that hit him. Why did he go out there anyways? Oh yeah, the kid. Was he safe?

His mind was running in a million different directions. He was probing for all the possibilities. His brain was so used to running in circles, he could probably think over a single idea five times over in the manner of seconds and still not get anywhere with it. The ability was both a blessing and a curse. It was great for writing stories since he made sure everything was perfect before putting it together, but it also took a long time to do it.

He heard the door open again, along with the sound of heavy footsteps.

"Mr. Hikari, how are you feeling?" a deep voice asked. Thinking on the question, he realized that he didn't feel much of anything at all. It was like his body wasn't there.

"I don't…?" His voice was hardly working properly, but it was enough to communicate. He heard a hearty, if somewhat, booming laugh.

"It must be the painkillers. You had quite a hit Mr. Hikari. Can you open your eyes?" The patient weakly nodded. "Alright, please do so." The bedridden boy complied and almost did the opposite when light entered them. "Please keep them open." The doctor aimed a flashlight into his pupils, forcing him to blink off dizzying spots. Waiting for the kaleidoscope of colors to disperse, his vision reached an acceptable level of clarity, revealing a middle-aged man with wide eyes and a long beard. The man was dressed in the usual white coat that doctor's often wear, but there wasn't a stethoscope around his neck—that would be too cliché. His hair was graying, so was his beard, and the deep set wrinkles underneath his eyes carried a great deal of wisdom and experience—along with some hard times and stress. "I'm Dr. Yen Sid."

"Nice to meet you?"

"If only it were under better circumstances," the doc chuckled, "would you like to know what happened to you?"

"Please." Taking out a clipboard, the old doctor scanned its contents. He absent-mindedly stroked his admittedly impressive beard as he flipped over several pages. A small irritation began to drum inside the patient; he hated it when doctors stalled without saying anything, almost as if they were trying to delay some terrible news like "You're going to die in three days" or some other ominous revelation or unforeseen medical diagnosis.

"Well first…" The doctor launched into a laundry list of injuries, the most significant of which was his broken left arm. Various other parts of his body, like his ribs and hip, also suffered damage, though not as much as his arm. Obviously his head was hit, causing the coma that he no doubt just woke up from. By the time the doctor finished, it sounded like everything but a clean bill of health. "But you seem to be conscious enough; do you know who you are?"

"Sora Hikari—was Kairi just here?" he asked weakly.

"That's right; she and your mom have been with you for the whole week. You have good friends and family Mr. Hikari. Now, follow my finger." The doctor put up his index finger and swung it left and right, which Sora followed easily with his eyes. The doctor, satisfied that the boy had regained functionality, sat up. "We still have to run some tests now that you're awake, but we expect to have you out in a week's time. Just sit back and relax for now." The doctor left the room, leaving the battered boy alone. Now that his eyes were working again, he decided to check out the room.

Having been in a hospital room before, the place was remarkably similar to the last time he checked in here, when he stupidly rushed across the street on the first day of school. See one hospital room and you've seen them all. They were always white, not pristine white, but a kind of sterile white, with a green tint. The floors were shiny, smooth, and polished, probably to make it easier to clean blood. The smell of antiseptic, as always, hung heavily in the air. At least there was a window, which allowed some much-needed natural light into the room. On a small table next to the bed was vase full of flowers. They were from Kairi, Riku, and some other names—he just laughed since the flowers were bought from his mom's shop.

The bed he was in was quite nice and comfortable. The blanket that covered his body was warm enough, but it wasn't the only thing that covered him. Thick hard plaster wrapped around his left arm, and bandages were tightly bound to his head. An IV drip idly fed nutrients to his body, and the machinery that caused him to wake up still beeped incessantly beside him. The neck brace he had on restricted his movement, making it hard for him to look around for traces of Kairi, wasn't she just here after all? He had lots of things to ask, things like "Are you married yet?" He heard the sound of the door opening again—why, speak of the devil.

"I just called your mom; she should be coming over by now," her sweet voice alerted.

"Thanks," he replied gratefully. Tilting his head, he saw the auburn bob, no longer an indistinct blurry head of hair, get closer, and then he blinked. The sight of Kairi stunned him.

"You look…"

He couldn't believe it.

It was impossible.

"…young," he finished. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

The girl looked down on him as if he were the dumbest thing on the planet. "Thanks?"

Standing before him was Kairi, but not the Kairi that he expected, not the one he had met a week ago, but the Kairi that he knew, oh, just about 12 years ago. She stood there gloriously, in all her teenage beauty. Her hair, cut short and cute, gave off an air of tomboyish. Her cheeks were rounded, and the maturity and length that he had previously observed reverted back to adolescent form. The sleeves on her white shirt were rolled up to her shoulders, and a small blue tie hung from her collar. A blue plaid skirt completed the outfit; it was the standard Destiny High School uniform. He was pretty sure he had just been hit by a car trying to save a kid while trying on tuxedos for an imminent wedding, a wedding between her and Riku, his other best friend, but this unreal and impossible situation seemed more like—

Flick.

"OW!" Sora stared at her slightly miffed, the stinging pain between his eyes now settling into a dull throb, "What was that for?" She retracted her hand, a worried expression weighing her face down.

"That was for making me worry so much. Of all the things you could do on the first day of school." She let out a tired sigh as she approached a chair set against the wall and sank into it. "Thanks to you, I missed the first week." Wait just a minute. First week of school? Did I…? Nothing was making sense. Calm down. This situation was suspiciously similar—not just similar—_exactly_ like the time I was hit by a car on the first day of school. Had I…gone back in time? Impossible. This is crazy!

"Kairi. How old am I?"

She looked at him oddly. "Fourteen. You got hit that bad huh? Can't even remember your own age?" These kinds of things weren't supposed to happen. Only in movies, TV, books, only in fiction. That's right, this had to be some kind of fiction, this couldn't be real—or maybe it was, and my old life was the one that wasn't real. He was getting a massive headache. The mix of reality-altering revelations and painkillers served as a powerful concoction to discombobulate and dismantle his brain. He couldn't think straight by a long shot. "Are you okay?" her voice interrupted. Like a brilliant ray of sunshine, her words had dispersed the cloud of confusion. That's right, just concentrate on the conversation at hand, and figure out everything else later.

"Yeah. I think. Why didn't you go to school? You didn't have to stick around."

"I wanted to be here the moment you woke up."

He felt warm and fuzzy inside. "Why?"

"Cause you would do the same for me." It was true; he would do that for her. Hell, he'd do a whole lot worse just for her sake. "Also, I wanted to be the first to let you know how stupid you were for getting hit by a car! What is wrong with you? Thanks for causing me so much trouble." Sora laughed, if a bit uneasily. This conversation was just too surreal.

"Well, I don't know if I'd do the same for you now," he fired back.

"You're such a bad liar," she accused with a smile, unconvinced. He didn't have anything to say back to her. If she only knew how long he had lied to her. But it wasn't a lie if it was just something he was hiding was it? No, it was definitely a lie, a lie of omission. He always gave an excuse, a completely different reason from the truth to explain away his flightiness. All of his smiles, his assurances, and wishes were thinly-veiled damnations, façades of miseries, just plain simple deception. Deceiving himself and those around him; it was what he spent his whole life trying to perfect. Maybe he was a bad liar, or maybe he was the perfect liar.

Her phone rang. "It's my mom, she's been pretty worried about you too. Actually, more like, she's worried about me worrying about you," she laughed. "I'll be back in a bit." She left the room, leaving him alone to his thoughts and surely, he had a lot to think about. Either he found himself in some time warp to the past, or the future was the result of some coma-induced dream caused by the accident, or he was actually still in a dream as the result of a car accident in the future. Wow, that was really confusing. His head started to hurt. What was it that they said again? To pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming? So he did.

"Ow!" Whose dumb idea was it to pinch yourself? Great way to hurt yourself for no reason. The world felt reasonably real enough. His senses were all there: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. His eyes checked out alright, despite the fact he was seeing Kairi as a young teenager again—okay, maybe his eyes didn't check out but his ears were working just fine; he heard Kairi and the doctor with no problems. His nose was functional; the smell of antiseptic was stringent. His mouth tasted like he really needed to brush his teeth and as for touch, well, he didn't feel any pain, which were sure indicators of life, but all the bandages and plaster that covered his body also seemed to indicate that he was as high as a kite on painkillers. If this was a dream, it was the most ordinary and most realistic dream he had ever had, which was to say, it was pretty damn real.

But it's not like you can discard 12 years of future memories just like that. He highly doubted that he was able to live out 12 miserable years in the course of what seemed to be a one week coma. Then again, he'd heard stranger stories. It's not as if doctors have figured out the mystery that is the coma, otherwise he would've been out of it the second he came into it. He figured the mind must be a pretty powerful thing because only one or the other could possibly be real. The current reality and his "future" memories were the same on the realness scale. So what was this, some kind of time travel? Crazy talk. Yet it was also…oddly comforting? Could this be an honest-to-god second chance to correct everything that was wrong in his life before shit hit the fan?

His mind mulled over hundreds of different scenarios and possibilities. He never heard Kairi return to check up on him or see his mom visit. In the end, he collapsed into bed, his mind driving him to exhaustion, and knocking him out.

"Well, you seemed to have recovered just fine. No abnormalities, save for your broken arm, but that should heal in the passing weeks. You'll have to check in from time to time so we can finally cut your arm out of the cast. For the moment, you're just going to have to get used to it," Dr. Sid informed. It had been several days after he had regained consciousness, and after surviving a battery of tests, he had been granted an all-clear to leave the hospital. Using the past several days to ponder his condition, he wanted to ask the doctor a few questions to clear up some doubts, doubts geared towards the reality of, well, reality. That he had experienced a normal day and night cycle, as well as sleep, and that he retained all his memories of the days prior seemed to be proof indisputable that this wasn't a dream, but some part deep down inside told him otherwise. He had to confirm it.

"Doctor, what do you know about comas?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?" You mean, besides the fact that I was just in one?

"Have there been cases where, a coma patient wakes up, and it's like he's from another time?" It was the best he could frame the question, it wasn't exactly a common thing to ask, "Is this real?" He didn't want to be thrown into a padded cell before leaving the hospital. The doctor stroked his impressive beard a few times before answering.

"That's a fairly typical reaction for most coma patients. There's not a whole lot that we know, we learn only from cases such as yourself. It's not ethical to induce comas for the sake of research after all. You might feel a little disorientated for awhile."

"To tell you the truth, none of this feels real," so much for avoiding that padded cell, "I don't want to sound crazy or anything but…I'm supposed to be 26 years old, and that girl Kairi? She's supposed to be getting married." The doctor stared at him curiously.

"You're not crazy. There have been a variety of cases where men who have been in a coma for as many as fifteen years wake up, feeling as if they just took a nap. Similarly, there have been cases where patients who were gone for only a few minutes report that they've experienced entire lifetimes. It seems that yours is the latter case. Consider yourself lucky, some people have woken up thinking that they were in a stranger's body entirely! I assure you, this is real." He didn't buy it, the future was too vivid, too real to be the product of his imagination and yet, at the same time, the current reality was also telling him the same exact thing. Now is not the time to be experiencing an existential crisis! "If you really have lived an extra twelve years of your life in a coma, you might as well live it again," the doctor smiled. "Think of it as a second chance." With that, the doctor saw Sora fit for release.

"I can't believe you. I know you don't like school, but going this far is a little too much." Sora chuckled at his mother's antics. She had come to escort him home, away from the suffocating drab halls of the hospital. They were in the parking lot, and his mother was carrying all the flowers that he received as gifts. "To think these would be coming back to me," she mused. He turned around to take one last look at the hospital, last before coming back again for check ups anyways. It looked like how a hospital should look, big, glassy, and crowded. He never understood why parents wanted their kids to become doctors—was it just because of the money? There were certainly other ways to make money, like being a best-selling author—that's right, that wasn't true anymore. For some reason, the loss of his wealth didn't feel like much of a loss at all. It was actually kind of a miracle. Giving up all the money in the world for a second chance at high school was something he would've done in a heartbeat, and to actually be granted that—he pinched himself again. The pain wouldn't wake him up from a dream, but it was at least a distraction. He was getting too far ahead of himself. Coming upon the car, he opened the door to the passenger side and got in. "I'm just glad you're okay. It could've been a whole lot worse. Next time you cross the street, be a little more careful okay?"

"I'll remember it." The whole arm in the sling situation was pretty crappy, but like his mom said, it could've been a lot worse. At least he could still write, though the itch sometimes drove him crazy. The only bright side to all this, as far as he could tell anyways, was that he could sit out PE. Talk about breezing through class.

As he sat in the car, watching the scenery pass by, only then did it truly dawn on him that he wasn't 26. He was 14 again. A freshman in high school.

What.

The.

Hell.

Maybe the painkillers in the hospital were mucking up his thought processes then, but his system, now clear of any drugs, allowed his mind to be sharper, reaching a level of clarity denied to him by the numbing effects of pain medication. This current situation was an impossibility of the highest order yet, seeing Destiny Islands outside the window, looking at his mother's youth, trying to deny this was as futile as denying earth's gravity. It held him firmly in place. A second chance huh? To be honest, it didn't sound too bad but these kinds of things always had a catch; like a time limit or maybe one small detail was changed, which ends up dramatically altering everything else. He might come home to find an extra sibling or two, or maybe his father has come back from the dead, or maybe…maybe it was all just some elaborate cosmic prank. Fate must be screwing with him. The car ride didn't last long, until finally, it stopped at home.

Sora stood in front of the house not sure whether or not he should enter. Every detail was perfectly preserved as it was in his memory. The difference was quite startling, compared to when he arrived earlier as a downtrodden author to witness his love getting married to his other best friend. Everything had the feel of newer, fresher, and younger. It was the small things like how the garden was full of buds and flowers that had yet to bloom, how the paint had no cracks or seams, and of course, the way the mailbox was perfectly aligned against the wall. It was as if everything was just yelling at him, "Yo, everything's real! Just accept it!" He entered through the front door. It was strange to be walking through the door as a kid, he was shorter than he remembered. As he sifted through his hair with his free hand, he noticed it was spikier. His mom was already inside the kitchen, organizing what needed to be organized.

"I called the school and let them know you were in the hospital. You should be fine to go tomorrow, right?" Sora turned to his mom and gave a wry smile. She returned it. "Good." He casually walked up to the sofa, the old sofa where he spent most of his days and sank into it. He was sure he was on this very sofa a few days ago, except it wasn't as rundown, and the cushions weren't replacements. Looking past the coffee table, he was sad to see that the HDTV had reverted back to a standard-definition CRT. Wait, if this was real, how did he know about LED TVs? Don't tell me that was also a figment of my imagination? His eye caught a magazine on the coffee table, it was already opened, and surprise surprise, there was an article on the future of television and how the future would be "hi-definition." Crap, did he really dream everything after all?

He closed the offending article and stashed it away. Resting his head against the soft pillows, he took a deep breath. The familiar warmth and comfort was odd. It used to be just some couch, but now it was a couch that told him he had a second shot at life. Truly, he had found himself in another time and in another place. He felt himself slowly slip into the sweet embrace of sleep until the doorbell rang. "I'll get that; you can just make yourself at home again." He heard his mom's feet shuffle towards the entrance. "Oh hi!"

"Is Sora home?" a familiar voice rang out.

"You're just in time. He's lying on the couch, come on in!"

"Thank you." The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer until his best friend's head poked out from above the couch and looked down on him. "Hey. You okay?" She held a curious and utterly adorable look.

He grinned. "I was until you came along." A pillow smacked his face.

"Good to see you're still alive." He removed the pillow from his face and had to wonder if he even acted the same way when he was 14; but it wasn't like there was some kind of cover he had to maintain.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in school?" he asked.

"Car must've really done a number on you. School's already over."

"Oh." The last time he went to school was like, jeez, 10 years or so? "What time is it?"

"Almost five—hey, lemme see your arm!" she excitedly requested.

"Er, sure." She made her way to his side and grabbed a hold of his cast. It was weird having an arm encased in quick-dry plaster that was hard enough to crack nuts with. He couldn't quite recall how he dealt with it in the past—er, now, but its weight was cumbersome and an awful inconvenience. He was curious to know what she wanted with his broken arm. The auburn girl lifted it up slowly and took out a marker from her pocket. With it, she began to write.

"There you go."

He looked at his cast to read the message. "I hope you get better soon. Oh, and you suck for getting hit by a car, Love Kairi."

"This way, you'll be constantly reminded of how dumb you were."

"I'll treasure this forever," he replied sarcastically. She giggled. "I'm glad you find this funny. This really sucks, now I can't even do anything. Can't even play games."

"It's not too bad; you get to skip PE don't you?" she consoled.

"Yeah, I thought of that too."

"Lucky, especially since you always sucked at sports." He couldn't exactly argue with that. He'd sooner run out of breath from just walking up the stairs. "Hey, you wanna do something?" It seemed as if she was getting into one of her flighty moods again. She would always jump at any opportunity to do something random.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, let's just go." She yanked him up by the free hand and went barreling out the door. "I'm going to borrow Sora for a moment!" she yelled to the boy's mom.

"Don't be out too late!"

"We won't!" She was always pulling him somewhere with no plan, coming up with ideas on the spot. It was an attitude that contradicted his; he was a deep brooding thinker that had to make sure every detail was just right before going for it. She had a flair for the spontaneous that was truly exceptional because it was actually spontaneous. Too many people devalue the word "spontaneity" by confusing it with "planned surprises."

Shuffling his feet to keep pace, her grip soon loosened as she went from a light jog to a steady walk. She glanced back and let go of his hand as soon as she saw that he could walk just fine on his own. He had déjà vu. The landscape wasn't a blur anymore; he was close enough to observe the detail he skimped out on. Everything was meticulously recreated in perfect detail, at least as perfectly as his unreliable memory could reproduce. He was conflicted, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this had all happened before. As they walked along the sidewalk, he looked over the houses and street signs that he never paid much attention to with a keener interest than before. Tired of burning the setting into his brain for future reference, he broke the silence.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

She looked up at the sky thoughtfully with a finger on her lips. She was too precious. "I dunno." He visibly sweat-dropped. "You haven't been outside in a while right? You shouldn't stay cooped in a house after being cooped up in a hospital." The reason sort of made sense, but he was never a fan of the outdoors.

"I guess…" If this was indeed the past, surely he could tap into his memories and predict what was going to happen next right? Unfortunately, time and distance had ravaged his capacity for recall. High school was just so long ago; it was almost like a completely different time era. The situation felt familiar, but he had no idea what was going to happen. On one hand, it was exciting, on another, it was disconcerting. His eyes followed the girl, admiring her beauty, but he was struck with a sudden thought. Was he truly a 26-year old in the body of a 14-year old, or was he a 14-year old who thought he was a 26-year old? Checking out the girl in front him wouldn't make him a pedophile would it? No, it would just make him a Kairiphile. He's been in love with her all his life; it wouldn't be that weird, would it? Ugh, forget I ever mentioned it.

"We're here!"

He looked around and realized they were at Destiny Island Park. He curled a curious brow. "The park of all places?"

She smiled brilliantly at him. "Great place huh?" The park was a wide expanse of land, covered with trimmed grass and stone and concrete paths for leisure walks. Small hills and barbeque pits dotted the place. For the athletically inclined, there was a baseball diamond, hard-top basketball courts, and fenced-in tennis courts.

Fall was starting to set in; trees were beginning to shed their leaves for the coming winter, green was replaced with reddish and yellow hues, and piles of natural refuse littered the park indiscriminately. He always loved the fall because it reminded him of her—an auburn autumn. A small wind kicked up a pile of leaves towards him, forcing him to shield his face with his lone free hand. Spitting out a leaf, he heard her giggle. They stood at the entrance and across from them was a small children's playground, with an idle swing set begging to be used. "I'll race you to the swings!" she challenged.

"That's real fair, I'm handicapped!" he protested.

She stuck her tongue out. "It's your arm that's broken, not your legs." She was as cheeky as ever. He had almost forgotten how whimsical she could be at times.

"Tch, I could beat you with no arms." She set off and he quickly followed behind. Trying to run with one arm and another stuck in a cast sounds a lot easier than it actually was. She pulled ahead and jumped on the swing seat. Sora stumbled by a few seconds later, breathing hard.

"What was that about beating me with no arms?"

He took a seat on the swing and leant against the chain. "Cast is heavier than it looks."

"Suure." He looked at her and saw her standing on the swing. A light breeze brought a torrent of red leaves, a flurry that seemed to swirl around her. Her hair bounced softly in the wind. He almost lost his breath at the scene. It was at times like these he wished he had a camera. The moment passed as soon as it came. "You think you can push me?" He nodded and put himself behind her. With one arm he shoved her back lightly. "Is that all you got? Push harder!" she ordered. He rolled his eyes as he let momentum make the job easier for him. She let out a gale of laughter in delight; it was music to his ears. He took a step back, watching the girl enjoy the simple activity with the heart of a ten-year old. The last time he enjoyed a moment like this was…he couldn't even remember.

"Having enough fun yet?" he smirked.

"You bet!" He went back to his seat and watched his companion swing to seemingly higher heights. The higher she went, the further out of reach she became. No matter the time or place, she was always so far away. Even when they first met during that fateful PE class, she was a hyperactive little bee, buzzing forwards, sideways, and backwards, all over the place. She had helped him. Pulled him out of his shell, and exposed a child that simply wanted to be happy. By the time they reached high school, he was relatively normal, if a bit timid.

But when Riku and Kairi got together, all progress disappeared, and he was sent back to where he began. He was no longer a child yearning for his father, but a child yearning for his love. This yearning had manifested itself in the strangest of ways. With his father, he became sullen and bitterly anti-social, and mostly resisted Kairi's advances and invitations for play. But she wore him down, won him over, and wormed her way into his heart. But with her loss, there was no one else to pick up the pieces. She was the only one who could put it back together but she was far too happy with Riku to notice—not like he wanted her to notice. If she was happy, he didn't want to ruin it. He couldn't go back to his sullen moods, it would be too obvious. He didn't want to be responsible for ruining a legitimate relationship because of his avarice. He didn't grow up under her care and friendship to become a vindictive relationship wrecker.

So he forced himself to be happy for her. He forced himself to smile. He became outgoing, laughing, easily making friends, and joking around. He made himself likeable, overly optimistic, adopting a care-free attitude that spelled no worries in the world. He mastered the distance, perfected the act, and made sure that nobody could ever tell what he was really thinking. He never showed more than he had to, only enough to satisfy. He could easily bring himself to the center of attention, and just as easily become a ghost in the background. He was neither important nor insignificant. At most, he showed that he existed, but in the end, all his friends would be left with the memory of a happy-go-lucky fool who mysteriously disappeared. Only when he was gone would it dawn on them that they never really knew who he was, what he did, what he liked, and they would question if the boy ever existed at all. Her laughter roused him from his reverie.

"Why are you so damn cheery?" he questioned.

She looked at him as if he grew an extra head. "What are you talking about? Life's too fun to be down!" They were innocent words, words that betrayed a lack of unhappiness. He just smiled, but a deep sense of melancholy began to emerge from his heart. He was beginning to realize how utterly retarded and stupid he was being for the last decade of his life. He was starting to hate these revelations but they were true. Even if she was with Riku, it still didn't change the fact that she was his friend first and foremost. He wasn't just running away from pain, he was also running away from _this._ Moments like these that brightened up his life. Just being around her was enough to make him smile and somehow along the way, he had forgotten this feeling and replaced it with misery.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly said.

She let the swing slow its arc. "For what?"

"I don't know. I'm just sorry. Accept it okay?"

"No way, you got nothing to be sorry for." It was just like her. Even when she, at times, could become the very devil, she was also too forgiving. Still, he felt the need to apologize anyway. Even if he was a coward, he was at least a man of principle—scratch that—a teenager of principle. He had to make amends to this person, this person who he had hurt tremendously, even if the hurt hadn't occurred yet.

"Then in that case, thank you instead." She looked at him funny. "I don't even know why you're friends with an idiot like me." She began to pick up on the sour mood the boy was having and it really bothered her that she didn't know the reason for it.

"Don't talk like that. You're not an idiot…well, you are sometimes, but at least you're my idiot. Besides, you need someone to watch out for you."

"Ah, I see, I'm just a charity case. I'm an adult; I can take care of myself."

"You an adult?" He forgot he was 14 again, well; at least he was mentally an adult. "Still just a kid. You're like my little brother!" The ugly truth rears its head. So that was the nature of their relationship? It was no small wonder that he thought he never had a chance with her. After all, who wants to date their little brother? He barely suppressed a grimace. This was even worse than the dreaded "friend zone."

He was given a second chance to change all that though. He didn't expect things to change overnight. Hell, he wondered if things were going to change at all. This might as well be a second chance for him to screw up all over again. Why were things so complicated? This was a second chance; it doesn't have to be a mess! Sure, there have been countless stories where a person has been given a second chance only to screw up even worse than before, but those were just stories—this is reality! At least it felt like it. There were still many issues to sort out. Those 12 years—they had to be real. Bearing a weight that heavy, it would be unnatural if the weight was imagined. He took a deep breath and saw his companion staring at him with worry.

"Let's go home."

"Already?" she moaned. He shrugged as he started walking. She hopped off the swing and skipped behind. They walked in a comfortable silence until she asked him a question. "Are you okay?" The question hung in the air as the boy steadfastly made his way home. Things would be different this time. He wasn't about to let those twelve years, imagined or not, go to waste. He wasn't going to let all that suffering, misery, depression; all those memories disappear just because they never happened. He would change himself. He would turn himself into a person that he could actually look at in the mirror without cringing. Things would be different this time.

"For the first time in my life, I think I actually am."


	5. Got Your Back

**Chapter 5**

_It was a sunny afternoon on Destiny Islands. The sky was clear and the water was sparkling, it was the perfect day for an adventure. Two small children, one a meek brunet, and the other, a headstrong redhead, were making their way around the small island that sat on the outskirts of the coast. The boy followed after the girl, afraid that if he lost sight of her, he would be left alone. Walking through the thick brush, they finally reached an awe-inspiring sight. A brave rock-face jutted out, made of smooth stone polished by years of erosion, and a constant stream of water poured endlessly from above. It was a small waterfall stashed away in the foliage. They ducked underneath the shady palm trees and followed a secret path. The boy smiled as he followed the girl into a hidden cave entrance behind the splashing water. After they entered, the two children grinned at each other. It was their "secret place," but to their surprise, someone was already there. _

_Surrounded by rocky cave walls and illuminated by light through an opening in the ceiling was a boy. He turned to the duo, revealing his odd features, white hair on top of turquoise eyes._

_"Who are you?" the little girl asked a bit surly, both hands on her hips in a picture of admonishment._

_"The master of this cave!" he declared with much aplomb. A cheeky grin painted itself on his face._

_"What?" the girl exclaimed. Her brunette companion looked slightly worried at the impending confrontation. "This is OUR secret place!" she said defiantly._

_"Well it's MINE now! Bwhahaha!" _

_The little girl pushed her friend forward. "C'mon Sora, you must fight to protect our secret place!" she urged with her fists clenched._

_"F-fight? I don't know how?" he weakly protested._

_"Ha, you're friend seems kind of wimpy!" the white-haired toddler laughed._

_"He's not!" she cried defensively. As if to prove it, she ran towards the taller boy and pushed him over. Not expecting the action, he fell over on his butt._

_"H-hey!" She grinned triumphantly, the brunet watched over the scene with a sense of awe. "F-fine, how about we share?" _

_She took a moment to think about it. "Okay!" she answered enthusiastically. Then, as if hesitating, "Do you mind Sora?" He shook his head 'no,' if it was okay with Sora than it was okay! She turned to the boy she pushed over as he got back up again. "I'm Kairi, what's your name?"_

"_Riku!"_

His eyes opened up and all he saw was the ceiling.

"Just a dream?" he groaned.

Turning on his side, he stared at the clock: 5:00 AM. The glowing green digits reflected dully. The last time he looked at the clock it said 3:00 AM. He only got two hours of sleep. Ugh. It was back to school again and he couldn't sleep at all. Too many things were running through his head. He had apparently teleported back to the past or dreamed of some crazy terrible future where he spent the last decade of his life in some unrecognizable haze of misery. The idea that he was fourteen again and waiting to go to high school for the first time (again) was inconceivable. It was by sheer luck that he got those two hours of sleep because he wasn't going to get any more at this rate. If he could only get a hold of those painkillers from the hospital, maybe then he could actually catch a few winks. Sighing, he looked back up at the ceiling.

It was dull.

It wasn't particularly different from any other ceiling. It was splattered white, paint on top of speckle spackle, small bumps underneath the coating—the features of a ceiling could be wildly fascinating provided you stare at it long enough. Reaching his hands out, he could imagine the feel of the material, soft and pliant, but stiff enough, like poster paper. In the darkness of the room, he could see the reflections of his past dance back from the ceiling. It was a film strip of his failures, the moments of hesitations, the moments of inaction, the moments of lost opportunities. He let out a long breath. That was another time; things would be different, or at least he hoped so.

The sound of footsteps plodded outside the door. He turned to the clock again and it said 6:30. Time flies when you can't sleep. The door swung open.

"Sor—," his mom blinked. "Oh, you're up. That's a surprise." She sounded terribly disappointed—as if he spoiled some elaborate plan to wake him up. He curved his mouth.

"Too excited I guess."

"Are you sure?" she asked a bit worried. "You look terrible, like a raccoon."

"Maybe I got too used to the hospital bed," he joked.

"That would be terrible. Breakfast is waiting on the table; make sure you lock the door on the way out." His mom sometimes got up early to work, usually because somebody commissioned a big project or arrangement. In these cases, she always left breakfast sitting on the table before leaving. She walked over and gave him a big hug. "See you later baby!" she cooed.

"Mom!" he cried out embarrassed. She only winked at him and left the room. He loved his mom and everything but she could be so...overly motherly.

Shaking his head, he got out of bed and began preparing for his return to school. Walking to his desk drawer, he pulled out the customary outfit for students of Destiny High. It wasn't anything too complex or fancy; just a short sleeved shirt, some dark blue trousers, and a deep navy tie. They were new since his old uniform got trashed from the accident; the paramedics weren't too delicate as they desperately tore his shirt off to apply emergency treatment—not that he was complaining. After getting appropriately dressed, he left the room and went downstairs where his breakfast was waiting. Eggs, pancakes, sausages, and bacon were laid on a plate in front of him—didn't he just eat this the other day? Whatever, you can never have too much of a good thing.

After finishing his breakfast, he was possessed by a kind of latent muscle memory that took control the moment he left the door. It was like autopilot, his legs walked on their own, deftly navigating around street corners and crossroads. He didn't even think about it as he automatically followed a route that was ingrained into his head. His body guided him, steered him against his will, tugging and pulling him into the back alley ways, ducking past traffic, and sneaking through gaps and holes that allowed him to make it to school in record time. The loss of control was, at first, disorienting, but years of route perfection had bared their results before he even had a chance to practice it. Before he knew it, he was at the front gate of Destiny High.

A brick wall surrounded the perimeter except for the main entrance, where a sliding steel gate closes and forces late students to go through the main office and pick up tardy slips. The place was built out of orange brick and mortar, a classic old-time aesthetic that spoke of history and timelessness. It was one of the oldest schools on Destiny Islands and it was quite prestigious. It was a multi-story building, three-stories to be precise, but it was broken up into several wings. They arched over a courtyard that was the crown jewel of the school, a well-tended natural open air space surrounded by shade and water fountains. Much of the student population hung around these areas before and after school. Behind the main building was the gym and field where athletics got their due. All in all, it had all the features that you would expect a school to have.

"So there you are!"

He turned around to see Kairi waving at him. She was dressed in her uniform. In her usual fashion, the sleeves were rolled up to her shoulders. A small tie bobbed along with her movements. "I was at your house but there was nobody there. Didn't I tell you to wait for me?" He vaguely remembered something like that—okay, he didn't remember that at all.

"Er, no?"

She flicked him lightly. "Dork. Don't forget next time. Now let's go!" She pushed him past the gate as he rubbed the spot between his eyes. "I didn't expect you to be up so early though."

"Me neither." It helps when you don't sleep. The courtyard was crowded with students, small groups, circles, and cliques all talking with each other excitedly. It finally set in that he was back to school again. Funny how he couldn't wait to get out when he was in it, but all of a sudden, school was _new_ and _exciting_, adjectives that he never thought he'd use for the place. To be honest, he missed the atmosphere. There was no experience like going to school. You don't really miss it until it's gone. He couldn't say he would want to go to school forever though, that's just insanity.

He easily fell into the rhythm of getting back to school, of dodging, side-stepping, and dancing his way past crowds, ignoring brushes of the shoulders and avoiding outstretched legs. He forgot how much of a struggle it was to actually physically go to class. Then again, he couldn't remember the last time he was in a crowd; he wasn't one for large gatherings. After clearing the courtyard, Kairi followed him into the building. Even though it had been so long since he was last here, his legs began to automatically steer him towards his homeroom class.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked.

He looked at her funny. "Class?" That much was obvious wasn't it?

She replied with an equally as funny look. "Do you even know where it is?" she laughed, shaking her head. The redhead swung her backpack to the front and zipped open one of the pockets and rifled through its contents. "I just remembered I have your program." That's right, he shouldn't have known. "Here!" She cheerily handed a stiff cardboard card over to the boy. "It sucks though, we're not in the same homeroom!" she frowned cutely.

"It's okay; I guess I see you at break?"

"For sure!" She gave him a surprise hug and let go, "I looked over your schedule, so I know where you get out. I'll meet you there okay?" She waved her hand goodbye and left him in a state of temporary paralysis. That hug was…way too short. A hand grasped his shoulder and shook him out of his stupor.

"You should wipe that look off your face, it's disgusting." That guy. He totally forgot about that guy. Sora turned around to see the smug face of Riku smiling back at him. He didn't know what quite came over him, but it felt like his body was possessed. Like a flash of lightning, Sora's fist struck Riku down flat. The white haired student lay on the ground, utterly shocked, bleeding from the corner of mouth.

Or at least that's what he imagined.

"Only if you wipe that smug smile off of yours," he greeted instead, not that it had its intended effect.

Riku tapped on Sora's cast. "Damn, you got hit by a car on the first day huh?" He tried hard to stifle a laugh that came out anyways.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Very funny."

"I'm just kidding with you man. We were all wondering where you went," he said seriously, "I was pretty shocked when I heard you got into an accident. I was really worried when I heard you went into a coma. Good to see you're okay." It was said with such sincerity and kindness; it made it kind of hard for him to hate the guy. "Welcome back."

"Thanks, it's good to be back." With the card still in his hand, the spiky boy simply shoved it into his backpack without a second glance and began heading towards his homeroom. His friend followed in tow.

"So…where to?"

"Homeroom." He remembered they shared the same one. "Same as yours actually."

"Really? Awesome!" The brunet nodded in response. "Then let's get going!" He was then grabbed by the scruff of his neck and pulled through the locker-lined hallways. Was he always this weak? He wasn't able to provide any appreciable level of resistance as he was unceremoniously dragged into the classroom.

"I could've managed without your help just fine," he complained. Riku just grinned. The handicapped boy didn't have a chance to pick his own seat as Riku blithely insisted that they sit together in the middle of the classroom.

To say that he was slightly irritated would be an understatement. He couldn't fault the kid beside him for something that he hadn't done yet, but stealing the love of your life would be grounds for a friendship divorce.

Sora closed his eyes and recalled seeing Riku for the first time in 10 years. Then he opened them and looked to his right to see a boy who shared those features. Admittedly, they were very fine features, and if he had so much as an inclination towards guys that he did towards girls, he would no doubt be under the spell of his shapely and sculpted face—good thing he wasn't. The strange white hair and the fierce turquoise gaze were all intact, but there was something fundamentally lacking from this version. The wisdom and experience of older years was traded for a higher quotient of juvenile obnoxiousness. Taking a stock scan of the room, he already caught several of the female denizens eying his friend up like meat on a platter. Back in the heyday, he had grown to respect Riku, though it was mixed in with some small measure of resentment, but it was probably just envy.

"Hey, lemme see that cast again." Sora raised an eyebrow, but decided to entertain his friend and pulled out his left arm anyways. Riku grinned with a marker in his hand. "Kairi told me about her little message; I figure I should do the same."

"Well that's awfully nice of you." His friend grabbed a hold of his cast and began scribbling for an inordinate amount of time. Sora rapped his fingers on the desk impatiently as he waited for him to finish. "Done yet?"

"Just one more second, there."

He looked down, curious at the message. "When are you going to ask her out? –Your pal Riku." He stared dumbly at the silver boy who just shrugged in response.

From when they were very young, Riku was always a staunch defender, the big brother he never had. He and Kairi were his two guardian angels, keeping constant vigil over a boy who needed it. It was an overly patronizing relationship now that he thought about it, but he had never been strong enough to stand up for himself. They had to help him up, hold his hands, and keep him steady.

It was different with Riku though. There were some problems that he just couldn't go to Kairi with, especially the pivotal problem that he was, you know, in love with her. If it was up to him, he didn't want anyone to know that he harbored such feelings for his best friend, but Riku always had a keen eye. During middle school, he correctly deduced that Sora had something or another for Kairi. Rather than warn him against the dangers of destroying a friendship, he supported him.

Riku was never really his rival; he was actually his biggest supporter, a cheerleader from the sidelines. The brunet recalled many times in which Riku tried to push them together, but those contrived situations never worked. He always resisted out of feelings of inadequacy. He could never get past that heart-stopping fear, the fear of rejection. It was a completely unfounded and irrational fear in retrospect, but it had some grounds.

If you asked her what their relationship was like, she would simply say "best friends!" with a wide grin. He wouldn't be able to do the same. For him, it was something more than a best friend. Riku was a best friend, but Kairi was…his savior; she saved him from a life full of loneliness and darkness. Her presence had become a dependency, a part of his daily life that had to be maintained. If he did anything to disrupt this balance, then he wouldn't know what to do with himself. The ultimate irony was that inaction had pretty much sent him to the same place he tried to avoid, if the last decade of his "life" was any indication.

If he had to guess, Riku's asking of Kairi out was simply a way to goad him into intervening, a way to force him into action, but he had stalled for far too long—he put it off, postponed, and procrastinated until it was too late. He had always wondered if the plan simply backfired, and Riku found himself falling for her on accident or if Riku actually held feelings for her all along and simply tried to deny it by pushing them together. No matter how it happened, it didn't change the fact that Sora did nothing to stop it. Maybe it was for the best, as long as she was happy, right?

"All right class, let's start," the teacher finally announced. It was homeroom. Nobody really does anything in homeroom, besides listen to the PA announcements; catch up on homework, or sleep. Since he was out of commission for the last two weeks, the cast-ridden boy didn't have much of anything to do. The problem solved itself when Riku began talking excitedly about all the "fun" and "cool" things he missed out on in the first two weeks. He was regaled with stories of the first day, which were chock-full of upperclassmen deception and freshmen hazing rituals. It sounded like pandemonium from the way it was told. He was starting to think he was lucky to miss the first week.

"You really saw that?"

"I'm not kidding," Riku laughed. "His head was in the whole way, man. It took three people just to pull him out."

Sora grimaced. Yeah, getting hit by a car seemed better than having your head forced down the toilet bowl. "What kind of school is this?" he asked rhetorically.

"High school." Just then, Sora felt something hit the back of his head. Confused, his hands dug into the spiky pile of hair and extracted a wet dripping spitball. What the hell? He turned around to see who did it, but all he saw were students in conversation.

"I totally saw that," Riku plain faced.

"Yeah, well you see who did it?" Riku shook his head. Another spitball hit him. Sora turned around again to see a red-haired student barely conceal a straw underneath the desk, no doubt pretending to be in an animated conversation with a knocked out friend of his.

"Those guys," Riku began, "are Axel and Demyx. You should just ignore them; they're just dicks looking for attention." Easy for you to say, you're not the one they're shooting spitballs at.

The one called "Axel" had blazing red hair that shot backwards in much the same way as a certain echidna, emerald eyes glowed with an innate flair for the theatrical, and a perpetual smirk smacked of haughtiness. With his unnaturally thin arms and unkempt appearance, from the loose buttons to his lackadaisical tie, he held a loose-cannon wild-animal quality. A hint of insanity mixed with conceit.

Beside him was another student who was knocked out over his desk and drooling. The flat sideburns looked ridiculous against the scraggly high top fade.

If it weren't for their spitballing, they would be pretty hard to ignore appearance-wise. Deciding to follow his friend's advice, Sora turned back to continue the conversation but another spitball flew into his head.

"Hey!" Riku yelled. "Don't you think that's enough?"

Sora put his face into his hands. Once again, it was the small details that escaped him. School wasn't just about the classes. It was a simulation; the simulation of society. Classes represented the daily grind that all adults would one day find themselves in, the cog in the machine that keeps the world running, the daily nine-to-five. It was a system, and like all systems, it came with rules. Life, like school, had a hierarchy. At the top were all the rich fat cats, in the middle were all the struggling climbers, and at the bottom were the bullied and bossed around. The roles you defined for yourself in high school will no doubt follow you for the rest of your life. It was like a rehearsal, a preview of a life to come.

But high school was worse simply because no one was mature enough to realize this fundamental truth. You have students that think they're mature, but they're really just a bunch of dumb young kids who haven't had the experiences necessary to develop a solid sense of identity. It was a zoo. A bunch of wild animals, some horny, some terribly aggressive, and some doomed to natural selection, all thrown into a cage. Oh high school, how I've missed thee.

Freshman year was the worst since fresh meat was always first on the chopping block. In some way, Sora knew that Riku must've understood that. Riku wasn't a meek little kitten, but a vicious lion; he would protect his friends, and break the bars of the cage that confined them.

Axel went on with his conversation like he didn't hear Riku's voice. The silver boy pulled out a pencil from his backpack.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, though it was painfully obvious what was going to happen next. Setting the pencil between his fingers, Riku expertly tossed it spinning towards the back. It was an amazing display of fine-toothed control. The pencil didn't waver from its course, a seemingly impossible straight spin into the now red-faced Axel. Those who saw the affair belted out in laughter. Sora had to admit, it was one of the funnier things he'd seen in quite a while. Axel, infuriated, turned to look at the boy who dared to challenge him. His eyes settled on a smirking Riku.

"Was it you?" he snarled.

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it?"

The spiked redhead got up from his seat and paced ominously towards them.

"Er, is this okay?" Sora whispered. Of all the things to happen in this second life and he already made the proverbial shit hit the fan? I really am cursed aren't I?

"I always got your back, remember it." Finally, Axel came to a stop. His glare then lightened into a grin.

"Dude, how'd you do that?"

"Er, what?" Riku replied confused, fully expecting a backlash.

"That pencil toss, it was like some crazy pinwheel arrow, you gotta teach me!" he laughed. Sora's head almost hit the desk from the sheer incredulity of the scene. He berated himself for his lack of foresight, or was it backsight? How could he forget? Axel was one of his friends he remembered, though, he couldn't recall how.

"It's not one of those things you can just _teach. _You just gotta do it over and over until it works you know?" Riku explained, having switched into sensei mode.

"I see. Practice makes perfect then huh?" the redhead nodded.

"Now you're catching on!"

The brunette looked at the exchange of words with a kind of deflated exasperation tinged with irritation. "I don't take too kindly on getting spitballed," he interjected, trying to save face—he was the victim here!

"Oh, sorry about that," the redhead apologized, though not too sincerely, "I haven't seen you around before; it's just my way of saying 'hi.'"

"Pretty dumb way," he muttered to himself.

"Hey, we're all friends here aren't we?" Riku jumped in, trying to make peace.

"So how do you hold it again?" The two went back to discussing the finer points of classroom distraction techniques like they were the best of buddies.

Axel. He didn't remember him as anything other than a casual acquaintance—a somewhat periodically annoying acquaintance. He had a penchant for setting things on fire, much to the chagrin of pretty much everybody who knew him. The boy's fascination with flame was almost borderline mystical and always inevitably ended in disaster. He remembered that one chemistry class where the room almost went up in flames and the whole school had to be evacuated. It was shrugged off as an exceptional but expected laboratory disaster, but those close to Axel knew the real truth—it was about as close to arson as you could get.

Homeroom ended and it seemed like the fires of heated confrontation had forged a bond of friendship between two like souls.

"I'll show you the results of my training oh great sensei," the flame-headed boy imparted.

"I eagerly look forward to the results young padawan."

The brunette had to crack a smile; their repartee was clever enough to warrant at least that much.

"Hey Sora, I didn't really mean anything by it, friends?"

He put his hand out for a shake. Sora looked at it, carefully considering the consequences of grabbing that outstretched appendage. "Wouldn't wanna break your twig arms," he joked, slapping the hand and fist-bumping. Riku and Sora then left the classroom with their heads screwed on tight, and their tongues loose. "I can't believe you did that. What if he got all angry and decided to pound you?" he hypothesized out loud.

"We're friends, I'm not going to stay here and watch you get spitballed to death. Besides, I would love to see him try to take me on," he dared, thumping his chest. Sora just smiled. He randomly recalled Kairi's words, "_just like my little brother_." He had to admit, everything that happened so far supported that. Riku and Kairi were always looking out for him but…did he really need it?

"You gotta let me fight my own battles sometime you know."

Riku just grinned. "In a way, you did. You were the one that taught me that pencil trick after all."

"Has the student surpassed the master then?"

"It happens all the time; don't feel too bad about it."

They parted ways. He didn't share the rest of his classes with any of them. They were all mixed around in different places. Kairi, ever the exemplary student, held fast to the honors classes. The athletics-heavy Riku understandably took the bare minimum so he could concentrate on sports. As for Sora, he was in between, good in some areas, and bad in others, just like 90% of all the other students out there. Mediocrity was an oddly comfortable place to be in though.

The experience of returning to school so far had been strangely automatic. Aside from the slightly eventful homeroom period, the classes so far had only caused him to question reality yet again. It was as if he knew everything the teacher was going to say, and all the stuff he was supposed to be "learning" were things he already knew. It made class kind of frustrating. He felt like an adult in an elementary school. The teacher would ask a question where the answer was so damn obvious yet, everybody in the classroom was left scratching their heads. The answer was obviously two you dolts; the problem was one plus one for crying out loud! At this rate, acing every class was less a pipe dream and more a certainty.

His academic performance in the past was never awe-inspiring—not until _that _happened anyways. He used to be B-average, though Kairi would pull him up to an A on occasion, B was his comfort zone. When he found out that Riku and Kairi were dating though, his grades took a free-fall into fail-land. It was honestly the worst period of his life. Apathy had infected his consciousness; he just didn't want to do anything. After three weeks of complete and utter disaffection, he was able to dull the pain into a numb but persistent throb. It got to a point that as long as he didn't think about them, he wouldn't have to feel anything. Such a task was impossible though. Doing absolutely nothing tends to make the mind wander. He could no longer just stay cooped up in his room and fester in his thoughts forever.

Fortunately, the solution presented itself when he was called into the counselor's office. It wasn't like his fall off the cliff went entirely unnoticed.

"Sora, what's going on here?" the counselor asked worriedly. "You've been pretty consistent in your grades but since this date, you've practically stopped showing up for class and neglected all your assignments!" The boy didn't say anything as he stared absent-mindedly at the wood patterns on the desk top. The counselor gave out a sigh as she rubbed her head. "I'm trying to help you Sora, but it doesn't help if you don't say anything." The counselor shot a helpless look at Aerith. It was a parent-counselor conference, but it had mostly boiled down to Aerith watching the counselor fail in her attempts to reach out to the boy. If his own mother couldn't get to him, why would the counselor fare any better? "Mrs. Hikari, are you just going to let your son fail the semester?"

Aerith frowned. "I've tried counselor, but this is something he has to figure out himself." Mothers were very acute when they had to be. She observed that it was with no small coincidence that her son had fallen into a funk the same moment he found out that Kairi and Riku were dating. As per his request, she denied them entry to their home temporarily, if only to give him enough time to get over the fact. She thought it was simply a trust issue—that his friends didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth, but she realized that it was deeper than that.

"Sora…you love her, don't you?" she asked, once they were home. The conference was a disaster and yielded no results, but that didn't matter, what was important was her son. He collapsed into the couch. "You can't just avoid them forever." He mumbled something incomprehensible into the cushions. "What?"

"It would be better if I just disappeared," he drawled out.

"You shouldn't say things like that," she contested. Sighing, she sat down on the couch and leaned against him. "It'll get easier with time," she offered, speaking from her own experience.

"I doubt it." He made small circles with his fingers against the pillows.

As long as he didn't think of her, everything would be fine. Although the conference seemed like a disaster, it sparked something in him. The meeting provided him with an avenue in which he could invest all his mental energy into. He needed to distract himself for as much as possible. The subsequent result was an academic zeal that brought him to the top of class and if it wasn't for the initial drop, he could've easily graduated as Valedictorian. Funny how students try to distract themselves from doing homework as much as possible, but for him, the homework _was_ the distraction. For the rest of his sophomore, junior, and senior years, he achieved nothing less than an A in all his classes.

"You see, you never know what you're capable of until you push yourself!" his counselor cheered.

He snorted upon that thought, however, academic excellence driven by depression and misery isn't something to be proud of. But that was all in the past (or was it the future?) now, he didn't have any motivation to be excellent in class a second time. Then again, his past self didn't have the advantage of having gone through high school before.

After breezing through class ("Are you sure you've been absent for the last two weeks?"), it was break time. Just as she promised, Kairi was waiting outside his classroom. They quickly joined up with Riku in the courtyard after getting some snacks.

They settled in a shady corner where a concrete bench circled underneath a nice cool tree. Idly feeding chips into his mouth, the cast-clad boy peered over the animated courtyard. All the students were laughing, talking, smiling; it was all a huge disconnect with what he remembered of his time here.

"School is such a drag!" Riku yelled before stuffing donuts in his mouth.

"I think it's exciting to be back!" Kairi chirped.

"Yeah, probably for the first ten minutes but then you realize, it's still school."

"Don't be so overdramatic," she laughed. "This is when it all happens, the highlight of our lives." They both looked at her funny. "Highlight of our school lives," she added as a disclaimer.

"Haha, I sure hope my life doesn't peak now."

"We only go to high school once guys, let's just enjoy it!"

Sora observed the conversation with a keen interest; they were acting almost as if they had no care in the world, but that was right wasn't it? High school was one of those few times in life where there _was _no care in the world. Nothing like the misery of love lost or worries over deadlines. High school was a day at the spa in comparison.

"I agree," he pitched in. "You gotta enjoy high school while you still can."

"Look at this guy; trying to sound all mature."

He just gave a pithy smile.

"Oh Riku, did you get into a fight or something? I've been hearing some things around school," Kairi asked curiously.

Riku just shrugged. "It's nothing. Some guy was bothering Sora, so I decided to call him out on it." Sora shook his head. "But he turned out to be a pretty decent guy!" he laughed boisterously.

Despite the fortunate result, Kairi still looked a bit worried. "What if he didn't turn out so alright?"

Funny, he thought the same thing.

"Then I'd kick his ass."

She wasn't too impressed and turned to the brunet, "Things turned out okay this time but I'm afraid he'll overstep his bounds one day. You shouldn't put yourself in those kinds of situations!" she admonished.

Sora put his hands up. "Don't dump this on me! Riku does what he wants!"

"That's right!" Riku interrupted.

"I'm friends with a bunch of idiots," she declared wearily to herself. Riku began laughing maniacally. "I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you," she pointed to Riku. "And you too," to Sora. In any other context, he would've been thrilled to hear that she was keeping an eye on him, but it wasn't like it was a particularly new phenomenon. That was how it went; she would be the eyes, ears, and the brain, while Riku was the fists and the brawn, all in service of the poor boy that couldn't do anything for himself.

The bell rang and break was over.

"Just to let you guys know, I'm going shopping with Selphie after school today."

"Huh? Why? Just when the whole gang's back together!" the silver boy whined.

"She's been begging me since I got back. That's what happens when you're stuck looking after a doofus in the hospital," she smiled.

"Thanks for the support."

She just winked back as she packed her bags.

"Guess it's just you and me after school huh?"

During class, Sora didn't pay too much attention to the teacher; it wasn't like he didn't know it already. Ignoring the instruction, he stared out the window and took in the scenery. He observed how the sunlight illuminated and bounced off the trees. He saw how the shadows danced along with the leaves. The endless blue sky stretched towards infinity, almost pulling him in.

He still remembered that one incident back from his childhood. It stood out with a kind of pristine crystal clarity; it was the event that forever cemented the nature of the relationship between him and Riku. They didn't have the same class together—they actually went to different elementary schools. That small—okay—maybe huge, fact wasn't much of an obstacle to their friendship though—after all, they shared the "secret place." The existence of such a place was able to resist the gravity of different schools, and put the trio's friendship on a level that most classmates don't even have with each other.

During grade school, Sora had to endure a long-standing torture ritual initiated by the likes of Seifer and his gang. Why? Because those most vulnerable make for the easiest targets. Even with the guiding hand of Kairi to keep the loneliness at bay, she couldn't keep a constant eye on him, and even if she did, what could she possibly do by herself against Seifer and his gang of Rai and Fuu?

The tears threatened to spill from seven-year old Sora's eyes and blood began to slowly seep from the scrapes on his knees.

"Leave him alone!" Kairi protested, to no avail.

A skull cap sat on top of tussled blond hair and a devil's grin streaked across Seifer's face. Beside him were his two cronies and yes men, the tanned and possibly speech impediment-afflicted Rai, and the monosyllabic Fuu. "Ha chickenwuss, need your lil girlfriend to protect you?"

"That's sad ya know?"

"SAD," Fuu punctuated with the kind of conviction that saying one word really loud could only afford.

"C'mon, let's get outta here," Kairi said, grabbing the victim by the wrist and removing him from his tormentors.

"That's right, run away!" the blond laughed along with his gang. The redhead shot a dirty look behind her and continued dragging the boy all the way back to his house. His home was the closer of the two but his mom wasn't home since she was working at the floral shop. Kairi, being the only friend of Sora's who frequently visited his house, was privy to the secrets of its entry. For every day of the week, the location of the key would change. Since it was Wednesday, she easily lifted a flowerpot and found the key taped underneath it. They settled themselves into the kitchen. The boy sat on a chair while his friend scoured the cabinets for a first aid kit.

"In the bathroom," he quietly murmured.

She cast a worried glance at him and followed his instruction. She came back with the kit in hand and opened it up. "Lemme take a look at that," she asked. With a handy cloth in hand, she gently wiped the wound clean of blood. Dipping the cloth against rubbing alcohol, she pressed it against his knees. The boy winced, seething air out of his clenched teeth. "Sorry, but just deal with it," she apologized." Finally, she slapped a bandage on it, "there, all better!" The boy didn't lighten up any and blearily sighed. "Just forget about it," the girl advised. "Riku's waiting for us remember?"

He nodded weakly. They made their way to the small island off the coast where a small white-haired boy was waiting for them.

"Hey!" Riku excitedly called out, "what took you guys so long?" Then he noticed the bandaged knees, "What happened?"

"Just some punks pushing him around," she sighed. "I don't know what to do though. Sora, you can't just let them walk all over you like that!"

The boy didn't respond and stayed downcast all the same. Riku looked at the boy quietly.

The next day seemed like it was going to be another daily dose of abuse. Seifer and his gang successfully cut him off from meeting up with Kairi.

"Ha, you're girlfriend ain't around to protect you now!" the toddling Seifer exclaimed. With wide eyes, Sora resigned himself for another injurious encounter.

"So you're the one who's been bothering Sora!" a voice interjected. Surprised, everybody turned to the appearance of Riku who emerged from behind the corner.

"R-Riku?" the brunet cried hesitantly.

"Who are you?" the blond wanted to know.

"The one who's gonna kick your butt!" Charging at the boy like a ram, Riku's fist clocked Seifer straight in the chin.

"Whoa!" the henchman Rai called out.

The capped toddler splayed over the street, a bleeding cut lip and tears spilling out. "I'm telling!"

"Go ahead; I don't even go to your school!" the silver boy laughed. Seeing their leader so handily brought down to his knees, Rai and Fuu reluctantly carried their boss away in a tactical retreat.

"Riku…" the boy let out in awe.

"I don't think they'll bother you now," he beamed.

"W-why?"

"Because we're friends, and I've always got your back!"

Ever since that day, nobody but nobody really put so much as a single finger on Sora. Riku made sure of that, putting himself in harm's way to make sure he was safe. Riku always seemed to get bruised and bloodied on his behalf. It was a decidedly one-sided relationship but it was how he grew up.

That was part of the reason why it made perfect sense that she would fall for him. Riku was everything he wasn't: dashingly handsome, fantastic at sports, protective of his friends, and constantly reliable. How could I ever compete with that?

"Mr. Hikari, since you're off daydreaming, would like to answer the question?" He turned to the teacher and saw several of the students smirking at him. Looking to the front of the board, he just saw some geometrical shapes.

"C is 49 degrees," he supplied bored.

"That is—correct! I guess you're on top of things," the teacher excused lamely.

Sora just rolled his eyes and waited until school finished.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Riku asked, "Since Kairi decided to ditch us for shopping." Sora looked at his friend and shrugged. They were currently walking through the halls trying to reach the courtyard. School had ended.

"I dunno. Don't have any plans."

"Jeez, you never do anything exciting. All you do is nothing."

He gave a wan smile. "When the time comes, you're gonna wish you had time to do nothing."

"Well, we don't get any younger. Might as well use that time doing something fun while you still can." Sora stopped. "Is something wrong?" Riku asked.

"Thanks for always standing up for me."

"Are you talking about that Axel incident? That was nothing."

"Not just that. You've been doing it all my life. You always had my back but I've never really, you know, properly thanked you for it."

Embarrassed, the white-haired boy simply scratched the back of his head. "You don't even have the mention it, haha. What's this all of sudden?"

"If I knew all I had to do to make you lose composure was to thank you, I probably woulda done it a lot sooner."

"Funny, I'm still as cool as a cucumber."

"Right," he laughed, "but you know, you don't have to do it anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's about time I grew up don't you think? I can't have other people fighting my battles forever."

The silver boy looked at his friend incredulously. "Dude, it's not about growing up, it's just what friends do for each other."

Sora shook his head. "If that was the case, when have I ever looked out for you?"

"Tons of times, whenever we're in class and stuff."

"What? Like when I give you my homework to copy? We all know that it's copied off of Kairi's anyways. You said I always did nothing didn't you?"

"That was just a joke!"

"Well it's funny because it's true."

"What's going on Sora? This isn't like you."

"What is like me then?" he asked, honestly curious. If he remembered correctly, being like "me" simply meant being afraid all the time, being unwilling and cowardly and everything he didn't want to be.

"You shouldn't be so…down I guess."

He could see his train of thought was depressing Riku. "All I'm trying to say is…you don't have to go out of your way anymore, for my sake. I wouldn't want you to. I want to take care of my problems myself you know? And if I can't…then that's when I'll ask you guys."

Riku didn't know what to say. When did the boy he watched over become a man? He grinned. "You got it. So, what now?"

"The arcade?"

"Sounds awesome, let's go!"


	6. Don't Remind Me

**Chapter 6**

_"Hey, can I come over today?" the voice asked. _

_Thirteen-year old Sora looked at the receiver tiredly. "Again? You've been coming over everyday of the week."_

_"Whatever, I'm already here okay!" As soon as the "click!" of the hung phone sounded, segueing into the dial tone of phone death, the door bell began ringing relentlessly._

_He answered the door, seeing Kairi on his doorstep. "Usually I don't complain when you want to come over and play games, but I suspect it has to do with something more than just the satisfaction of beating me down." _

_"Beating up on you is just too much fun," she joked. They sat down on the couch and ran through the character select screen for Street Fighter III._

_"Jeez, two weeks ago, you barely knew how to block. Now I have nightmares of Chun Li kicking my ass." She stuck her tongue out at him._

_Despite owning the game and having played it for much longer than Kairi, and with the tactical advantage of using a joystick, he suffered 5 straight losses. He was ready call it quits._

_"Just one more game!"_

_"No way. That sounds like 'just one more beat down.' No sane person would listen to you."_

_"Fine," she said, pouting. "I got rejected."_

_He stopped, allowing Chun-Li to walk up and do a Houyoku-Sen in his face. "What?" After the initial shock passed, he paused the game. "Hey, don't just ignore me. Rejected as in how?"_

_She sighed. "You really want to know?"_

_He nodded vigorously._

_"Rejected as in…rejected by Roxas."_

_"Roxas? He was visiting awhile ago. Wait a minute, you got rejected by him? Wait, you asked him out?"_

_She nodded her head, almost uncaringly. "I had a small crush," she admitted, "so I asked him but…he said 'no' flat out." _

_What the hell was this? Why didn't Roxas say anything? Why didn't **she** say anything? This was—what was this!_

_"You had a crush on him and you didn't even tell me?"_

_She gave him an odd look. "I told Selphie, I mean, it didn't seem like you would care."_

_"Of course I care, he's my cousin. I think its pretty relevant."_

_"It didn't cross my mind."_

_"He's my cousin."_

_"Fine, it's because…I didn't know how you would take it."_

_"When did I become so intimidating?"_

_"You see, that's what I mean. You're getting angry."_

_"I'm not—angry. I'm just__—_ disappointed that you didn't trust me enough to even tell me in the first place."

_"Do we really need to get into this now?" _

_Yes, right now. This is a friendship-altering talk right here!_

_"Fine, whatever, what does you being rejected have anything to do with anything?"_

_"You're the one who asked, I'm just answering," she fired back._

_He rolled his eyes. "Go on then."_

_"I've just, never been rejected before," she confessed. "It feels pretty crappy. I just wanted to distract myself for awhile."_

_"So you got pro at Street Fighter?"_

_"That's pretty much it!"_

His eyes shot open.

"I hope this isn't becoming a trend," he said to himself as he rolled over in bed. The flashbacks were becoming more frequent whenever he tried to go to sleep. His dreams weren't really dreams; they were more like memories. Of all the memories to recall, it had to be that one. At the time, he had no idea that she was capable of "crushing" on another person—much less his own cousin of all people. Growing up together, it just seemed natural that she would always be nearby. But on that day, when she came over to play Street Fighter, that was when he realized that she had her own life to live, where she was free to have crushes on anybody she liked, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. That was the start of separation, the natural rift that forms between long-time friends because of the pubescent realization that he was a boy, and that she was a girl. Things would never be the same again.

He got up, ignoring whatever time it was since he was sure it was late at night anyways. For some reason, he felt like playing some Street Fighter. He walked over to his TV and began sorting through his pile of games until he realized his left arm was in a cast, which meant that using a joystick was out of the question. "Damn it." He fell against the floor and looked up. "Well ceiling, looks like you and me are going to have a long night again."

It was break time at school and the trio found themselves under a shady tree.

"Hey Sora," Riku interrupted, "you know what today is right?" Sora was too busy munching on chips to care about what his friend just said. "You even listening to me?"

"Huh?"

"You know what today is?" he repeated again, this time much more loudly for emphasis.

"Tuesday?"

"WRONG!" he yelled in his best impression of Lex Luthor. "Today's tryouts for the blitzball team!"

Sora put up a blank face. "You like asking questions you know I don't know the answers to, don't you? Like I care about that."

"You don't care about anything do you?"

"Well, I can hardly try out with a broken arm can I?"

Riku had the decency to look embarrassed. "Totally forgot about that, heh. Well that doesn't matter, you should come, I could use the moral support. You too Kairi?"

"Oh!" she answered back. She was busy writing into her agenda. "I joined the Student Council remember? My duties officially start today. Sorry, but duty calls," she replied playfully.

"Aww."

He looked so pathetically crushed that Sora was obliged to entertain his friend's showoff tendencies. "I'll go, not like I got anything to do after school anyways."

"Awesome, that's why you're my best friend!"

"Not like you need any moral support." It was true; Riku was, if anything, supremely talented in athletics. Sora couldn't say that he wasn't at least a little bit jealous of his friend's athletic acumen. "You'd probably make captain after tryouts."

Riku just laughed. "You never know, I heard that Jecht's son is trying out too."

"_The_ Jecht?" Kairi repeated. The silver boy nodded. Everybody on Destiny Islands knew Jecht; he was the legendary blitzball player, the Michael Jordon, the Pele, the Joe Montana of blitzball. The high expectations for his son were certainly warranted, given the parental caliber.

"I'll totally kick his ass! And you will be there to witness it," he smirked. Riku was always so full himself but he was one of the few guys who could actually get away with it. The bell rang; it was time for class again.

School zipped by and the day was over. The students slowly crawled out of their rooms and lurched their way towards freedom. Beside Sora was Riku and he was as jittery as a squirrel. They made their way to the gym where tryouts were taking place. The closer they approached, the louder it got.

"Are you sure it's this way?" Sora asked. "Seems a little loud for tryouts." Riku shrugged and opened the double doors. To their astonishment, the bleachers were full of people, students and adults mixed in with cameras and posters. "What the hell is going on?"

"What do you expect? Jecht's son is here!" That made sense. The crowd must be full of fans, scouts, and curious onlookers. "Too bad I'm going to steal the show! Hahaha!"

Shaking his head, Sora settled himself in the bleachers. There was a general buzz of excitement; the atmosphere almost resembled a real game. On the court was a long line of prospective blitzball players, and Riku joined the back of it. He looked over at Sora and waved. Some of the players noticed this and gave Sora a weird look.

"Jeez, it's not like I'm your girlfriend," he face-palmed. He watched as the team captain, a boy with flamboyant orange hair curling into a cowlick pointing towards the heavens, barked orders at the new recruits. Conducting the drills was a girl with short raven hair. He guessed that she must've been the team manager. She moved frantically but he noticed that she had hardly broken a sweat.

A flash of recognition passed. He remembered her. She was Yuffie. They had met in a previous life. Sora would hang around the blitzball team practices (Riku's induction into the team was a foregone conclusion) and one day, he decided to help her clean up. Her official position was team manager, although she did help out as an assistant coach. Her knowledge of the game was unrivaled, and she was physically adept as well, giving many of the actual players on the team a good workout. He could tell that she wanted to play, but the closest she could get to the court was through her position. He had observed in her an oblique separation from the rest of the team. She wanted to play but she couldn't. The obstacle was a practical one; there wasn't a girl's blitzball team.

After gulping down a few drinks of Gatorade, the raven girl returned to the court to push the potential candidates even harder. The poor fools couldn't even keep up with her. Her mesmerizing display of athleticism began to jolt his memory. He wondered if these activations of long-dormant brain sectors were of real memories that actually happened, or if they were just products of a coma-induced imagination. He had trained himself well to forget about this entire period of his life, but it was hard to forget when he was stuck doing it all over again. Because of Kairi and Riku, he tried to repress everything that had to do with the combination of the words high and school.

It was all coming back though, and to forget about Yuffie of all people was complete and utter sin. As he sat there, watching this girl Yuffie run, sprint, and leap around the court, the memories fell into place.

It had been a month since he found out that Riku and Kairi were dating each other behind his back. School served as a nice distraction for a while, but he got so good at it, he was able to finish homework before even reaching home. He never thought that being so academically excellent would actually come to bite him back in the ass. He couldn't rely on homework anymore; it wasn't like he could read his geometry textbook from cover to back for the _third_ time. If there was nothing to keep his brain occupied, he could only think of horrible and depressing things. It was getting harder now, especially since he was lying in bed face-down with an idle mind. An idle mind was a wandering mind, and a wandering mind tends to wander in very bad places.

"Riku's on the phone for you!" his mom called out, opening the door to his room.

"Tell him I'm not here," he grumpily replied.

Just when I'm trying my hardest not think of them.

She frowned. "He knows you're here. You haven't gone anywhere for the last month," she supplied logically, not that logic had any effect. He just mumbled something incomprehensible into his pillow. She went back to the phone, "He doesn't want to talk." Riku's tinny voice could be heard. "I'll just put the phone on speaker; at least then he could hear what you have to say." She set the phone down on the dresser and gave her son a worried glance before leaving.

"Sora, you there?" Riku's voice asked.

No reply.

"Look, I'm sorry about everything but I just thought that you would...never mind, this has nothing to do with that. Tonight's the game, semifinals, if we win tonight, we'll go to the last stand—the championship game. I still consider you my best friend, it would mean a lot if you showed up. I'd really appreciate it. Hope you hear this, bye." The line went dead, and the dial tone was the only thing he could hear.

"Goddamnit."

Even though he didn't want to, he found himself pushing the double wide doors of the gym open anyways. While he was still reeling from the truth, they were still friends. The least he could do was show up for the game. He was greeted with the sight of a great crowd. They were energized, loud, and hopeful. A bevy of balloons and giant cardboard signs of support, as well as "I love you!" banners streamed all over the bleachers. Even if his life was in the gutter, it was nice to see that not everybody was like him. He cracked a small smile— the school spirit was pretty contagious.

He spotted Yuffie waving at him from the sidelines. "Sora! There you are! Where have you been all this time?" she accused with fists on her hips.

"What am I? The unofficial cheerleader?"

"You know it!" she laughed, but then she turned serious. "But really, things were weird without you." He scratched the back of his head. He didn't know how it happened, but he was given the unique privilege of watching the game from the sidelines. After helping Yuffie that one day, he had been roped into becoming the team manager to make it easier for Yuffie to fulfill her coaching duties.

"Oh, hey, haven't seen you for awhile" Selphie greeted with a handful of towels. He wasn't team manager anymore, a job he was all-too-happy to relinquish to Selphie, if only because she wanted to be closer to her beau Tidus.

"How's the team managing going?" he shot back.

"This is nothing! I've got to support the team with all my heart!" she shouted enthusiastically.

"You showed up," a voice called out.

Recognizing it, he looked away. "Yeah..."

It was Kairi, of course it was her, and there was absolutely no reason for it to not be her. If Selphie was here to support her boyfriend, then it was only obvious that Kairi would do the same for hers—Riku. There was an awkward silence, if such a silence could exist amidst the throng of excited chatter and pre-game cheering.

Sensing the weird atmosphere, Yuffie jumped in. "Alright guys, lets support our team!"

Just forget about her for now, he came here to support the team in the first place. Taking a deep gulp of breath, he left Kairi by the front bleachers and walked to the sidelines. He didn't look back.

Despite her pleasant demeanor earlier, the raven girl began to act more agitated as time ticked on by.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Really really nervous." For all intents and purposes, she _was_ the coach. The real coach had resigned earlier in the year, making the current one a temporary stand-in. It didn't matter since Yuffie knew everything about the team's offensive sets and defensive schemes anyways, so the temp coach gladly let her call all the shots.

"The game is going to start soon," he said, hoping it would calm her down.

"Thank you for that piece information Captain Obvious." Okay, so he wasn't good at calming people down. Looking over the field, all the players were in position. He searched for Riku and found him immediately, since his white hair didn't make him too inconspicuous. The silver boy made an off-hand glance and caught sight of the brunet. His face immediately brightened.

"You came," he mouthed.

"Pay attention Riku or I'll kick your ass!" Yuffie shouted back. Caught red-handed like he was passing notes in class, Riku turned his attention back to the game.

"Alright Destiny High! Give it up for your Destiny High Chasers!" The crowd was brought to life, cheering the decibel meter off the scales. "I'm your announcer for the game, Demyx, and let's give our home team a little support. If we can make it past these guys, then we're going to the finals!" The atmosphere was getting heated and Sora couldn't help but be swept up in the whirlwind. He hoped the feeling would last.

"Blitz off!" The game started off fast and furious, with the teams duking it out with the tenacity of battled-hardened soldiers. The stakes were high; whoever won this game would go on to the finals. The Chasers were looking pretty good at the start, with their blitzball movement fluid and free-flowing, but the rival team, the Twilight Town Nobodies, weren't about to let up. The momentum had shifted, and the Nobodies were beginning to dominate. The turn of events didn't deter the crowd from cheering though, there was still time to readjust.

It became half-time.

"Goddammit, what the hell are you guys doing!" Yuffie screamed. She was not happy at all with their performance. "Riku, Tidus, what in the FUCK is going on out there?" The team winced at her laced words. "Stop trying to show off, this is important, you have to win with TEAMWORK!"

"It's not like that," Riku protested weakly.

"Yeah, they're much tougher than we thought," Tidus gasped out, with Selphie warmly wiping away his sweat.

"You okay?" she asked.

He nodded gratefully.

Yuffie was still livid. "You guys have to step it up!"

Wakka, the team captain, was surprised at her fire. "It's good to want to win, but ya gotta calm down Yuf."

"There's no point if you don't win!" she yelled back.

The words didn't hold its intended effect. The crowd got quieter as the game clock winded down until the result was a clear 5-2 loss. Nobody said anything as Demyx announced the Nobodies' victory. Amidst their celebration, the home team stood dejected. The crowd dispersed to the court, showing support and congratulations for the team's efforts, despite the loss.

Yuffie sat on the bench face down.

Wakka approached her. "Yuf?"

"Don't talk to me," she rebuffed curtly.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and turned to the rest of the team, shaking his head—the signal for "Do not approach."

Selphie consoled Tidus while Kairi did the same for Riku.

"You showed," Riku stated plainly, standing across from Sora.

"Yeah...sorry about the loss," the brunet replied weakly. He missed a month's worth of playoff games, and when he finally shows up, they lose. Was it just a coincidence or was he just bad luck?

"It's okay, there's always a next time," he reassured. "I could go for some consolation ice cream, how about some Cait Sith's? We haven't gone in a while."

The brunet shook his head. "Go on ahead without me, I'm sure you two could use some time alone."

"Sora—" Kairi started.

"Just—go. I'll just," he looked around until his eyes settled on a downtrodden girl, "I'll stay with Yuffie."

"Um, you sure?" Riku asked, especially after Wakka's danger signal.

Taking a hard look at her crestfallen posture, he had to admit that he had more in common with her in that one single moment than with anybody else in that gym. Failure was such great company. "I'm sure."

Riku pulled Kairi away as she cast one last worried glance over her shoulder. He watched them leave and turned back to the court. The cleaners were busy cleaning up, and most of the people had left. Yuffie was still on the bench. He sat down next to her. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not," she said none too bluntly. She sighed, "I'm sorry, but it's just...I don't know." Her shoulders were low and her normally fiery yet bubbly personality was subdued. He never saw her this way before. She looked so pathetically dejected; he felt he gained some measure of understanding. He had somewhat of an idea of why the victory was so important to her. There was a saying, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." For Yuffie though, she couldn't even play the game, all she had was victory or defeat.

"You wanted to play didn't you?" he asked, though it came out rhetorical.

"You think?" she laughed. "Stupid school with its stupid rules. The stuck-up headmaster is as backwards as you can get. No girl's blitzball team? It doesn't make any sense, every other school has one except for us!"

When Yuffie had joined Destiny High, she wanted to play blitzball at the high school level, but the school didn't have a girl's team. Despite all her attempts to make one, they were blocked by the considerably conservative values of the school board, which was spearheaded by the serpent's head, Headmaster Ansem. It was an old school that held fast to long-standing traditions, and by that tune, resisted change for the sake of preserving the status quo. With no success in sight, she uncharacteristically gave up. Out of pity, the boy's blitzball team allowed her official capacity as an assistant coach and team manager. It was the closest she could get to the thing she loved the most, but in the end, all she could do was watch from the sidelines. She was never able to get into the thick of the action, never able to revel in the victory that her teammates created for themselves through hard physical exertion. It was a compromised experience, but it was the only thing she could grasp.

The rookie-led Destiny High blitzball team made it all the way to the final four only to lose. The season had ended, but everybody was still left with hope. The new players, Tidus and Riku were bright spots, and prospects for the future were bright. Even if they didn't succeed this time, they could still return to the battlefield next year. For Yuffie though, it would be back to the sidelines— only a spectator. Sure she could call the plays, but nothing could replace actual participation—the physicality of the game.

He was reminded of all the times when he would hide when Riku and Kairi were together. He would look on as they shared their tender moments, talking with each other, laughing, enjoying each other's company. The feeling that you're completely unnecessary, that you're just a burden, it just makes you want to disappear. "It's better that I'm not here," you begin to think. Your own existence is devalued, marginalized, and reduced to nothing more than a background prop—just some faceless unrecognizable environmental feature, unnoticeable, insignificant, and invisible.

"I know how you feel," he stated.

"No you don't," she replied angrily, "how can you know how it feels to be—"

"To be alone? To be left on the sidelines watching what you can never have? You resign yourself to knowing that you can never have it, so the best you can do is watch it, right? Even though every time you look, it just tears at your heart?"

She paused, shocked and surprised that he spelled out exactly what she was feeling. "Yeah..." she weakly confirmed, "I'm sorry."

"Why not?" he mused out loud, a plan forming in his head.

"Why not what?"

"Why shouldn't there be a girl's team?"

"What are you talking about? As long as Ansem's the headmaster, there won't ever be one."

"So what?"

"So it's impossible."

Impossible. He loved the word. It defined his life. He knew it well. "That's fantastic. You can't give up. You only have two years left don't you? Don't you want to at least try? Until the very end?" he asked excitedly.

The energy he generated began to pique her curiosity. "What are you thinking?" Not that she was hopeful…or anything.

"I'm gonna convince Ansem."

She looked incredulous. She thought he would at least have something better than that! "You think I haven't tried that?"

He ignored her brusque rebuttal. "I'm going to convince Ansem by having the whole school convince him. I'll start by convincing the students, then I'll convince the teachers, finally, I'll convince the one voice that the school board can't ignore; the parents of every student that attends Destiny High. If that don't work, I'll convince each member of the school board until he's the only one left." It was the perfect plan. It was so unquestionably quixotic, so unrealistic, that the practicality of it was defunct from the very start.

"That's easier said then done," she replied skeptically. "And just how are you going to do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. It didn't matter. What was the saying again? "It's not whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game."

He had found the perfect catalyst, the perfect medium for mental occupation. No longer would he stay in bed, reflecting on the futility of life. He'd throw himself, mind, heart, body and soul into the formation of the girl's blitzball team. He didn't really want to accomplish the goal, he just wanted something to keep him busy for as long as possible. The same drive and motivation that gripped workoholics, the kind of determination that laid waste to families and relationships through neglect, began to burst forth from his core. It was just a game after all, anything to distract himself from rejection.

What kicked off from that point on was a campaign for the creation of Destiny High's very first female blitzball team. Yuffie was the public face for the effort, but Sora was responsible for the nitty gritty work, the endless writing of letters, petitions, calling countless people, from the association of high school blitzball leagues to members of the school board. The campaign was designed to be redundant, fruitless, and tireless from the start. Not that Yuffie knew any of this, although she was puzzled by his enthusiasm, nonetheless, she was swept by his effervescent and unwavering optimism. This optimism bounced off of her, and spread throughout the student body.

The school was rigid in its tradition; its conservative nature didn't look too brightly on something like a girl's team. Yuffie, with her bright and bubbly personality, did wonders as a public face. Sora organized the campaign from behind-the-scenes, doing everything in his power to keep himself busy—constantly speaking with students and teachers, thinking up new ideas, devoting himself whole-heartedly to a lost cause. Unfortunately, lost causes tend to find their way as more people rally behind it. The appeal of the quest was the seeming impossibility of its fruition in light of the rigid view held by Headmaster Ansem. Old-fashioned in everything, a man in his twilight years, Ansem was a staunch force in the slow promulgation of female-side sports. Blitzball, the latest and greatest in harsh physical sports, like football, seemed like a shoe-in for denial.

Sora operated on this assumption. It was a foolproof plan, like trying to help everyone in the world, to feed every hungry child, to house every homeless family, and to rescue every lost pet. The full satisfaction came from the never-ending journey, or in his case, the never-ending distraction. It was the perfect excuse for avoiding Kairi and it was the perfect way to forget his failures. It was the reason why some people, dissatisfied with their lives, throw themselves into their work. They become obsessed to a point where relationships are destroyed, and this was precisely why he did it. He wanted to erode what little was left of his shattered connection to Kairi into nothingness. To lose himself in work was the master plan.

"Hey Sora, you wanna—" Kairi began to ask.

"Can't, I got to write up a petition."

She frowned. She thought things were getting better since the game, but it seemed like he was still trying to avoid them. "Oh, well, next time?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah." Of course, next time was always the same. If he wasn't busy writing something or another, he was on his way to a meeting, on his way to see Yuffie, on his way to doing absolutely everything other than hang around with her.

"I'm writing letters to the school board."

"Didn't you already do that?" she complained over the phone line.

"I'm doing it again."

"I don't think being persistent is going to help the situation."

"Why not?" he asked back, balancing the phone between his head and shoulder, a skill he had quickly picked up since the start of his campaign.

"Because..." The answer was long in coming, and he went back to his task.

Endless petitions, numerous letters, and face-to-face meetings had inundated his life. The greater his effort, the fiercer the opposition, and the more he allowed his brain to revolve around one single meaningless quest. It was a better way to lose yourself than drugs and alcohol at any rate, and it didn't set off any red flags.

"I've never seen you so motivated for something. Is this really that important?" his mom asked. He was scrunched over the dining table, writing yet another pointless letter, not that he minded.

"I won't rest until I reach my goal," he said. Which was hopefully never.

"Hmm..." his mother hummed quietly.

"Please gather in the auditorium for an assembly," the PA announced one day at school. The teachers were startled by the announcement, since there was no plan for an assembly that day. Sora went with the class to the auditorium, puzzled over the reason for the assembly. He didn't pay too much attention to what was going on until the voice of the headmaster rang out.

"Welcome students of Destiny High, I am Headmaster Ansem." The students began to murmur since, for many, it was actually their first time seeing him. Though his reputation was infamous, he was quite an elusive figure, in some way, it added to his authority and mystique. "It has come to my attention, through the very persistent efforts of two particular individuals, that there is a demand for something that easily challenges the traditional values of our school." The crowd was quiet, some beginning to form an idea of what the whole show was about.

Sora only narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Please don't let this be what I think it is."

"A lot of criticism has been levied at our institution, but our slow process has enabled us to make decisions in a very deliberate manner. Although I am aware that times are changing, I find it necessary that this academy retain a proud tradition of healthy skepticism and careful deliberation. What others call 'slow,' I call integrative. Nonetheless, I am proud to announce that this institution is indeed capable of making decisions, so it is with true sincerity that I proudly announce the formation of Destiny High's first female blitzball team." After the long-winded excuse was over, the actual announcement was immediately drowned out in a loud explosion of applause. It was deafening. Unbeknownst to the cheering crowd, the architect behind the success sat in a state of utter shock. "I would like to call to the stage two exceptional students who made this possible, will Sora Hikari and Yuffie Kisaragi please come up to the stage?"

He didn't quite know how, but his classmates seemed to recognize him for the first time, and pulled him from his seat and pushed him towards the stage against his will. Yuffie did the rest, dragging the stunned boy to the stage. He couldn't understand what was going on. All the faces staring back, Yuffie bouncing excitedly beside him, the headmaster shaking his hand, flashes of the camera blinding his face, it was all a whirlwind of chaos. By the end of it all, he was surrounded by his peers, all of them congratulating him on something he never wanted to accomplish.

"We did it!" Yuffie screamed ecstatically. "We actually did it!" Her words were daggers.

"How was school today?" Aerith asked as he stalked into the house rather meekly. He was startled, not expecting his mom to be home. He appeared rather sullen.

"Unreal."

"You don't look too happy though," she observed concerned.

"It's just, I don't know, I guess I don't believe it. I feel so lost."

It turned out that his mom knew Ansem well—she was actually one his most favored students. She supplied the headmaster flowers for his wife's garden, which allowed them to stay in touch with each other. After revealing to him all the hard work that her son had put in, the headmaster finally listened and stopped being stubborn. Ironically, it was the mom that finished the quest for her son, a quest that he never wanted to finish.

"Sora! Congratulations, all your efforts have paid off, let's go celebrate!"

There were no excuses this time.

They were at the beach. Yuffie, the girls, and the guys were playing blitzball. Sora, not interested in playing the sport himself, sat on the sand, watching the game with mild interest. Despite his qualms about his success, seeing Yuffie bounce around with such glee made him smile.

"Hey," a voice greeted. It was Kairi.

"Hey," he replied softly. Turning to her, he observed a troubled face, which secretly made him feel terrible.

"We haven't had much time to talk lately," she said.

"Yeah, I've been very busy," he explained. Don't make this hard Kairi, just forget about me and run for the hills.

"I know you were busy and all but, you should make time for your friends," she complained. "I-I've missed you. It's like you've become a different person."

"That's good isn't it?" he responded gruffly. "You don't have to look after your little brother anymore."

"That's not what I mean."

"Haven't I relied on you for too long? It's about time I make my own way right?" he asked hotly. He didn't know why, but her presence was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Does this have to do with Riku?"

"It has nothing to do with Riku; it has everything to do with you!" he yelled.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Everything's changed! We can't—I can't go back to the way it was anymore."

Her eyes went glossy. "We're friends aren't we?" she asked weakly.

He didn't say anything and got up to leave.

"Hey Sora, where you going? The party's just getting started!" Yuffie screamed.

"Sorry guys, but I gotta get going, later!" he yelled back.

Two years after the start of his campaign, the girl's team was officially formed. For the team's first game ever, who else was there to lead it but Yuffie? Although it was only an exhibition match, it would be the last that she could be a part of since she was graduating that year. It was an important game for her, since she wanted to play as a Chaser at least once in her life. The match was between Destiny High and Twilight Town again, but with Yuffie in full control of the game as team captain, the result was nothing less than what was expected of the great ninja Yuffie. It was a fantastic match, and everybody finally had a chance to see her talent for the first time. Her brilliant performance was a revelation. Sora smiled as he sat on the sidelines, seeing her fulfill her dream. The match ended, and she was crowned as Player of the Game.

"Here's a towel," he said, tossing her a white towel.

"Thanks," she replied, using it to wipe her sweat off.

"How was it?"

"Better than I could ever imagine," she grinned. She let out a long breath. "You don't know how long I've waited for this moment, and it's all thanks to you..."

"It's nothing."

"God, your modesty's beginning to piss me off," she laughed. "You've done more for me than anybody else that I know. Guess who was watching the game? Scouts from colleges with some of the best athletic programs in the country. All the controversy really attracted interest, and I've already got acceptance letters to some of the schools!"

"That's great isn't it?"

"It's awesome is what it is." She hugged him unexpectedly. Despite her strong exterior and muscular frame, her hug was surprisingly gentle. "Sorry about the sweat," she apologized. "But thank you. I'll never forget this."

He was glad for her. Even if it was all because of some mindless game, if this was the result, then what was there to complain about? He just wanted to take his mind off life for just one paltry moment and instead, he accomplished something that few people could claim to say. But why did it feel so hollow? Was it because it came at the expense of alienating the only two people in the world who stuck with him since elementary school?

"Hey, did you see that?" Riku yelled.

Sora blinked as he returned to earth. He was back in the gym where there was a crowd watching the blitzball tryouts. His friend was bent over, hands on his knees, and panting. "Um, no?"

"Dammit, what the hell were you looking at?" he angrily replied.

Sora just laughed.

"Alright, we've seen enough ya," the captain, also known as Wakka, said. "We'll post a list of the names that made it outside the gym tomorrow. Those names will go to practice the day after that." Wakka left the gym, followed by the rest of the blitzball team. The crowd of spectators began to disperse, murmurs drifting off into the air.

"Jecht's son was good wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but that Riku kid sure was something else!"

Riku wasn't bullshitting after all, not that there was any doubt, but he had certainly upstaged "Jecht's son." The recruits soon emptied the gym, hoping that they made the team. They were none too discreet about their exit, discarding cups that they were helpfully given during the tryouts on the floor, leaving someone else to clean up the mess. Sora shook his head at the sight, was it that hard to properly dispose of cups? He scanned the room and caught the team manager shaking her head in the same way.

"Hey, let's get outta here, I'm freakin' hungry," Riku said. "You wanna go get some ice cream?"

"I'll catch up later. You go on ahead, I got something to do."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Something?"

"Never mind, just get outta here already!" Sora shooed his confused friend out the door. After he was satisfied that his friend was appropriately out of sight, he walked towards the raven girl who was slowly picking up the empty cups. "Hey."

She jumped; surprised that somebody was still around. She stood up to see a boy with one arm in a cast. "Oh, you need something?"

"I—" he really should've thought about what to say, but what could he say? "I'm Sora, I just, I mean, you need any help?"

She looked at him funny and eyed his cast. "You sure you can?"

He picked up a ball with one hand and stashed it away on the bliztball cart. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Thanks, I guess. I'm Yuffie by the way."

They picked up the cups for a few minutes in somewhat of an awkward silence. Why did he come down here? To encourage her? "Hey Yuffie," he called out, uncertain of what to say next.

"What is it?"

"Don't give up."

"...okay?"

He realized how strange he sounded and promptly hit himself in the head. "I mean, I heard about you, trying to make the girl's blitzball team and all that," he clarified. "You shouldn't give up."

"Huh?" She was surprised that he knew about that—a freshman of all students. "Sure," she replied unconvinced. "Well, thanks anyways." The trash was all cleaned up, and she dragged a black sack towards the trashcan and dumped it off. She got behind the blitzball cart and began pushing it towards the equipment shed. "I can take care of the rest myself, don't let the door hit you on the way out," she said as she left.

He was left dumbfounded and standing in the middle of the gym by himself. "Don't let the door hit me on the way out?" What was that even supposed to mean? He didn't know if it was some kind of underhanded insult or some legitimate gripe with the gym doors. Still, he was confused about the whole exchange between him and the girl more than anything else. Why did he even approach her? To make up for something he was sure he wasn't going to do again? He walked towards the bleachers and took a seat. He had resolved to change things this time, but what did that really mean? He had completely forgotten about Yuffie when he returned to Destiny Islands.

Yuffie…his mother mentioned her on the way home didn't she? He was too busy tuning out what she said to care. He frowned. It was easy to say that things would be different this time but would it be worth it? What would he be losing in the process? His high school memories weren't always the clearest. He had spent so much time with his head in the clouds, simply not thinking about Riku and Kairi that the entirety of his high school career was blotted out along with them. Being in school, physically, right now, was beginning to make it all come back. The more the memories came streaming, the less he knew himself. Thinking on the words he said to Yuffie, he just laughed. If there was one thing he did know, he was one hell of a hypocrite.

"Don't give up huh? I should try following what I preach sometime..."


	7. Real Talk

**Chapter 7**

"So what were you doing in there?"

Sora was blindsided by his friend immediately after leaving the gym. He thought he stewed in there long enough for his silver friend to get tired of waiting, but he had apparently underestimated Riku's resolve. "I thought you would've left a long time ago," he shot back annoyed.

The Cheshire cat grin only flared obnoxiously in response. "You think I'd just leave after you shoo me out like that? Something's up, so tell me? How was she?"

"How was she? What is that even supposed to mean?"

Riku laughed loudly. All his innuendo didn't make much sense to any one else except himself. "First time I've seen you talk to a girl willingly, does this mean you don't like Kairi anymore?"

The brunet rolled his eyes to his friend's obtrusive and nosy manner of interrogation. "First of all, I've talked to plenty of girls before willingly, and second, you're still holding on to the idea that I like Kairi?"

"Is that a 'no'?"

"It's a mind your own business."

Riku just snorted in response. "Speaking of her, you think she's done with her," making quotation marks with his hands, "duties?"

The cast-clad boy just shrugged. "Probably." They made their way towards the student council room, poked their heads in, and saw it empty. "Did we miss her?"

"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" her soft voice rang out from behind. The two high schoolers turned around to see her staring back at them from the hallway.

"Tryouts finished," Riku grinned. "I'm in for sure!"

"Like there was any doubt," the brunet deadpanned. "Is the student council done?"

The redheaded girl nodded. "Yup, I was actually looking for you guys, but the gym was empty."

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Riku asked.

The only girl in the group put a finger to her chin, and it took all but two seconds for her to come up with a suggestion, "How about some Cait Sith's?"

Cait Sith's Ice Cream Parlor, home to the best ice cream on the island, also home to the best robot on the island. The place didn't look too different from what you would imagine an ice cream parlor to look like, giant glass windows, spiffy white table tops and transparent cases where you could see all flavors of the rainbow stretching across in delicious ice cream form. The prime attraction, however, wasn't the ice cream—though it was fantastic, but rather, it was the small cat riding an oversized fluffy moogle that drew the crowds. A feat of engineering marvel, Cait Sith was a mascot brought to life. The caped cat would blare out "Welcome!" through his megaphone in his ridiculous Scottish accent that drove all the small kids wild. Needless to say, he was an absolute hit.

Even when the moment of disillusionment was long past, when Sora found out that Cait Sith was actually a robot; it still didn't diminish the awesomeness of the machine any less. He still had an AI, completely separate from his owner, Reeve Tuesti. For all intents and purposes, the loveable Scottish cat was about as real as any one of them. He had a hell of a memory too; he would remember your name after hearing it once.

"Sora! How's the arm treatin' ya!" the mascot yelled from his moogle perch.

"I can't do much, but I can't complain," he replied.

The cat bounced up and down excitedly. "Glad to see you're okay! The usual for all three of you guys?"

Kairi looked over her two friends who nodded back at her. "Yup!"

"A One Slot and Two Dice Sundae coming right up!" The cat thumped his mount on the head, making the giant white bat stumble towards the ice cream buckets and start scooping. It was a comical sight and definitely part of the parlor's charm. The trio made their way to the corner booth where plush cushions surrounded a small table. Sora and Kairi sat on one side while Riku sat in the other.

Riku's usual was the Slot Sundae, a cylindrical cup filled to the brim with layers of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, with a shock core of caramel topped off with cherries. For Sora and Kairi, they shared the Two Dice Sundae, which came in one dish. The Two Dice was like a mini-mountain of desserts, slopes made of chocolate snow, rivulets of syrup sprinkled with nuts and strawberries, all with a not-so-healthy smattering of cookie bits.

"How were the tryouts?" Kairi asked.

"Great, I think…" Riku gave Sora a look that begged for moral support. "How did you think I did?"

Sora gave a blank look in return. "I don't know. I didn't catch it, but it seemed you got a good reaction out of the crowd."

Riku's face fell, "Jeez, even my own friend wasn't paying attention. What were you looking at anyways?"

Yuffie.

But it wasn't like he was going to tell him that. Riku would latch on to that piece of information for all the wrong reasons. "Don't tell me it was that girl?" Riku asked.

With her finely tuned radar, Kairi jumped into the fray. "What girl?" she asked excitedly.

Riku gave a grin that promised great embarrassment. "Check this out, this guy asked me to leave—"

"There was no girl," Sora interrupted before Riku could finish. Riku and Kairi stared at him disbelievingly.

"Like I was saying," Riku continued, "this guy kicked me out of the gym when that girl was cleaning up."

"Ooh, sound suspicious Sora, what's her name?" Kairi remarked in scandalous fashion.

"You're seriously spending too much time with Selphie if you're getting interested in this kind of nonsense."

Kairi giggled. "Oh come on, it's all harmless fun."

"Was it Yura? Yufas? No, Yuffie! That's it, her name was Yuffie!" Riku smiled triumphantly, as if he solved a difficult math problem. Gee, would you like a gold star for your efforts?

"Yuffie…" Kairi repeated the name to herself softly. "Nope, don't know who she is. You should introduce me to her!"

Sora shook his head. "Guys, you're blowing this way out of proportion. We just talked for a little bit, that's all."

"You guys were in the gym, alone, for twenty minutes! I think that's more than just a 'little!'" Riku let out.

Kairi made a surprised face. "You go Sora!"

He felt like shrinking underneath the table. They always ganged up on him whenever he did anything remotely unSora-like. Fortunately, he was saved from further embarrassment when a giant moogle laid out a platter of sundaes.

"Here you go guys!"

"Thanks!"

They all dug in, shoving their spoons into gooey mounds of deliciousness. Sora scooped up a good amount and put it in his mouth.

His eyes went as wide as saucers. "Was this always _this_ good?" he said, somewhat paralyzed by the taste.

Kairi gave him a funny look. "It's always good! What are you talking about?"

"It's just—hey!" He deflected her spoon away, protecting the strawberry on his side. He drew a line, splitting the dish. "No crossing this line, ya hear?"

She eyed the line disbelievingly, "This line is so wrong!" With the flat side of her utensil, she demolished his line, and made new boundaries. She had split it 70/30 in her favor.

"That's even more ridiculous than mine!" Sora exclaimed back.

Riku watched bored as the two struggled for ice cream real estate dominance. "Now now kids, sharing is caring." His wisdom fell on deaf ears. Cait Sith watched from behind the counter, cheering their battle on.

"That's how you do it!" the cat yelled into the megaphone.

After they finished their ice cream, the trio headed out. Since Riku lived in a different direction, he split from the group, leaving Sora and Kairi to walk home together.

"You always get so heated up over ice cream," he chuckled.

"Hasn't anybody ever told you, never get between a girl and her ice cream?"

"Nope!" He grinned at her, forcing her to smile.

"I fear for your girlfriends then."

"You're not still on about that are you?" His teasing quotient was fulfilled for the day.

"So what really happened between you and that girl…er, what was her name again?"

"Yuffie. It's nothing really, I just felt bad for her. All the guys who tried out for the team threw their garbage on the court, and she had to clean it up by herself. I decided to help out."

She tilted her head curiously. "Is that really the reason?"

Was it the real reason? No, of course not. It wasn't like he could tell her that Yuffie had brought back forgotten memories, memories of a time where he had hit rock bottom, only to climb out of the abyss of misery through selfish quests for mental oblivion. Was there such a thing as doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons?

"Just because…" he drawled emptily.

Kairi's face lit up. "Just because…of a crush?" she slyly implied.

"Nope," his answer was quick.

"Aw," she said, disappointed. "It would've been a big step for you!"

Why was it that "liking" someone was a sign of "growing up?" It didn't make any sense. If maturity was measured by crushes, then teenage girls would be the most mature segment of the population—which obviously was not true. Kairi held too much stake in his personal affairs, sticking her nose in his business at every opportunity. He pushed her away when she got too curious since he didn't want his deepest secret to be exposed. But that was in the past, and we all know how that worked out. Maybe he should drop her a hint this time?

"I already have a crush on somebody," he revealed mysteriously.

She paused for a moment, not expecting the reply. She was anticipating the usual "mind your own business," but this was new. "Oh? Anybody I know?"

He looked at her face, wondering how he should answer. I'm pretty sure you know her pretty well, it's you after all. "I'm not telling."

She was horribly disappointed, but didn't expect much after the first statement. It was baby steps with Sora. "Meanie."

He just laughed.

Yuffie was just one part of his past, a casualty from his mind wipe mission. She was the first in a long line of fortunate victims. It wasn't noble intent that compelled him, but rather, it was fear. He spent every waking moment of his life running away from a truth that he refused to recognize. What that truth was…he forgot through years of distorted memory. The more time he spent at school the more that dormant parts of his brain were activated. With each person from the past coming before him in the present, a torrent of past events, actions, and feelings assaulted him. It was all too overwhelming. He needed to take some time and rethink the whole situation.

A couple of days passed after the tryouts and he had taken to lazing on the rooftop after school was over. Normally the door to the rooftop was locked, but Cid had taught him a few mechanical tricks that made short work of the pathetic thing that served as a "lock" to the rooftop door. Though the three of them were friends, different interests pulled them into different circles of the Venn diagram. Riku's tryout was successful and he became a part of the blitzball team, fast becoming a rising star alongside Tidus, otherwise known as "Jecht's Son." Kairi was fully immersed in her Student Council duties, managing odd jobs and making sure that school ran a little smoother than the previous day. As for him, he just laid on his back, staring at his namesake thinking about the "past." He was as directionless as he used to be. Back then, he simply went with whoever dragged him, whether it was Riku to blitzball practice, or with Kairi to help put up posters or some other mundane task. He was dragged to blitzball practice so often, it was decided that he would become the new official team manager, allowing Yuffie to focus on coaching. As prestigious as "team manager" sounded, it mostly involved cleaning up after the team's messes and dealing with a lot of trash. It wasn't a great job. Fortunately, he was able to get out of it thanks to Selphie.

Selphie…she was Kairi's friend, a girl friend, which made her an invaluable asset. After a whole elementary school of him and Riku, he was sure that Kairi needed some female companionship. It wasn't until middle school that they met each other, and so began the rift. He couldn't fault Selphie for being herself, and it was only natural that Kairi would start to hang out with other girls more often. Feminine topics such as clothes and boys were things he never ever wanted to talk about. Selphie was a necessary evil. But if he had to pinpoint the exact moment that they began to drift apart, it was definitely in middle school. It was also when he started to realize how he felt about her.

Aside from some white tufts, the sky was mostly clear. How often had he stared at it, wishing and hoping for a second chance? Now that he got it, he didn't even know what to do with it. The only thing he knew how to do was run away; everything else was simply the result of somebody holding his hand. He got through high school by latching on to the hands of any who needed his help, and he got through university with Roxas' help, and the _Keyblade Chronicles_ were written under the watchful gaze of Mickey, his editor. Maybe he could write the _Keyblade Chronicles_ again? The idea had some appeal, since he knew his story would be a smashing hit anyways, but he didn't feel any motivation. The novels were, after all, the result of his suffering. Remove the suffering and you remove the source of the story. Being a writer didn't make for exciting memories. Remembrances of countless days, spent behind a computer screen, all blurred into one incomprehensible typing hell. Simply put, writing was the last thing he wanted to do.

The wind was strong on the rooftop. He loved the feel of the air rushing past his face. It had force, pressure, and moisture. If this was fake, then his whole life was fake. There was really no point in lamenting ghostly futures. This was the second chance he wanted. He chuckled to himself. He was familiar with time-travel stories and the endless branches that could result from a single action. One wrong move could ripple through the time-space barrier, resulting in the destruction of the entire world…no, probably not. There was no deity granting wishes here, no supernatural artifact, and no crazy technology involved, this was just a case of coma-induced visions of the future. The formal rules of disastrous time-travel didn't apply here. He had free license to change his life for the better. He'd be damned if he let this chance go.

The first step was simple: stop being a hermit. He couldn't blame his old self for being a recluse. Home was safe and secure against nonsense like bullying. He didn't want to give Kairi and Riku cause for worry. That wasn't an option this time. Now he just had to find something to occupy his time with. There were many extracurricular activities to choose from, but he already knew which one to pick.

The Student Council.

He needed to spend more time with Kairi, to get reacquainted with the girl he fell in love with so many years ago. What did he miss in those few precious years of high school? He wanted to learn about her all over again. It was also time to let go of his guard. He couldn't afford to be cautious and withdrawn. He had to let her in.

He heard a creak behind him.

"Sora?" a soft voice called. He turned around to see Kairi at the rooftop door. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey. I was just…thinking."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you always think up here?"

"Yeah…"

"How did you get up here anyways? I thought the rooftop door was locked?"

"Am I not supposed to be here?"

She folded her arms. "Of course not. We got a report that someone was hanging out on the rooftop, I never thought that it would be you though." She held up a ring of keys. "So I was chosen to check things out. I never figured you to be a delinquent."

Sora laughed. "There's lot of things you don't know about me."

Kairi smiled. "I already know all your secrets Sora. There's not much I don't know about you," she joked. She closed the door behind her and moved next to Sora on the rail. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Okay. How about this? I'm going to join the Student Council."

Kairi made a splashy display of surprise and almost lost her balance. "Are you serious?" Her eyes gleamed with anticipation at his answer.

"I am."

"Wow, you're taking such initiative. Who are you and what have you done with the real Sora?"

"You got me. The real Sora is tied up in my basement."

They laughed.

"But still…I'm really surprised. I thought you didn't like staying after school? You were pretty adamant about it before. What was it that you used to say? 'Why stay at school any longer than we need to?'" It was his catchphrase and best excuse for evading unnecessary work in middle school.

"I had a change of heart over the summer. People tend to change and grow over time you know."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing, just different than what I'm used to. I'm just excited. I'm behind you 100%." She was bouncing on the rail. The news really made her day. Was it always this simple just to make her smile?

"Thanks. I know. How's the student council anyways?"

"It was pretty boring for awhile, but things are starting to get lively now."

"How so?"

"Homecoming's coming up!" He remembered homecoming, and how he completely and utterly skipped over it and all events similar to it. What a dull and tragic life he thought.

"Heh heh. Double coming."

"Eww, get your mind out of the gutter!"

His eyes glazed with confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Forget it," she waved off.

He laughed. What the hell was that all about? "Anyways, isn't it a little early? I thought Homecoming was a month away."

"You have to prepare for events months in advance. It's never too early to get ready."

"I see…sounds fun."

"Not really. The council just has us freshman making posters though. They seem to think we can't handle things much bigger than that."

"It's just like real life. You gotta work your way up."

She blew on her bangs. "I know, but I feel like taking on more responsibility. Can't I just leapfrog my way into an executive position?"

"If it only it were that easy."

She grabbed his arm. "Since you're gonna be joining the Student Council, how about I give you a tour of the place?" She dragged him off before he could reply.

They finally reached the student council room. She showed him around. It was a big room with rows of desks, cabinets, and whiteboards. The only difference between the room and a normal classroom was the communal arrangement. The tables faced each other as opposed to the front of the classroom. File cabinets lined the walls, and idle writings laid dormant on white surfaces. Stacks of paper spilled over the table tops and chairs were pointed in random directions.

"Pretty nice place," Sora commentated. "Where is everyone?"

A dark look colored her face. "Probably out having fun."

"Having fun?"

"To be honest, the student council isn't really what I was expecting. It's like the officers just don't care." Déjà vu. He recalled hearing Kairi say the exact same thing. The student council was filled with a bunch of buffoons having fun off of the school's budget. The problem was rectified when Kairi ran for president the next year. It was a complete surprise seeing a sophomore beat out all the juniors and seniors for the coveted position—a position she held for three ironclad years.

"That's why I'm glad you're here with me. With your help, hopefully we could make the school a better place."

He was flattered by her comment. It was a noble goal, but a very fitting one for her. "You have my full support. There's no doubt in my mind that you will change the school."

Her eyes widened. "Thank you," she replied surprised. "Now I feel like I have to live up to your faith." She clenched her fists with determination.

"So how exactly does this work? Is there an application I have to fill out or what?"

She dropped a sweat. "Things aren't too organized around here. It's sort of uh…on a volunteer basis."

"Volunteer basis? Do explain."

"Only the officers have formal positions, nobody else in official."

"Then the freshmen are doing all the work out of the goodness of their hearts?"

"They promised to set up a system to account for the students who do work but…"

"It's an invisible carrot," he stated simply. In the real world, they call it an "internship." Work for free and get the chance to just maybe get hired for a real job. At least you could put it down on your resume right? Wait, this is high school, change resume to college application.

"Maybe it is but what else could I do? I've talked to some of the teachers but the student council operates under the principal. I haven't even had a chance to meet up with him since he's never here."

It was important to talk to the right people when it came to getting things done, but your voice had to have "oomph" before they started listening. There was a lot of oomph to go around, but Sora decided that his mom would be sufficient. She was the one who helped create the girl's blitzball team after all—not in this timeline though.

"You probably don't know this but my mom knows the headmaster. She could talk to him for us and get things changed."

"Really? That would be fantastic! When do you think she could?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You should just come over and wait for her to get home. You can go over the details with her yourself. You got anything going on today?"

"Not really. I'll take you up on your offer. I figure you could use another ass whupping in Street Fighter 3."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Step one was proceeding quite nicely. He managed to get Kairi over to his place already. Sure she came over lots of times, but this time was special. He made a resolution to change things between them. The first step was time, and to spend as much of it as he could with her.

But even with time, some things just don't change. Despite having ten extra years tacked on to his life, interaction with Kairi was still a supremely daunting task. He managed just fine if topics were restricted solely to things not called "Sora." It was actually quite brilliant how he managed to deflect every and any inquiry about his well-being whether it be physically, emotionally, or otherwise. Talking about oneself just opens the door for sudden and unwelcome revelations. School, food, other people, they were all fair game as conversation topics but not Sora, he was strictly off-limits. He couldn't blame Kairi for never even considering him as a romantic interest. What does it matter if he can soliloquize endlessly about meandering topics such as politics, religion, or the meaning of life if he never gave her cause for a fluttering heartbeat, the way she managed to make his beat like a drummer on psychedelics.

Relationships felt too much like a fine science. How many factors had to align just for one's hope to be fulfilled? Wasn't love rooted in irrationality? It wasn't supposed to make sense. It's impossible to find an explanation for a _feeling_. The most logical of us would still fail against the seduction of illogic.

Just be yourself was the best advice right?

All this time he was hiding.

It was time to come out, but not completely, just enough to be different from usual. They had left the school and started for his home. Such genteel walks with a proper young lady. He did fancy himself a gentleman. Those Victorian romances were always so ideal. Sure some dramatics were overly dramatized, but they always finished with a nice tidy bow. He couldn't say the same for his life.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said.

"You just did." That kind of coquettish answer always ignited a competitive streak in him. In a game of wits, he would never lose.

"That's just the buffer. It's supposed to make you wonder what I'm going to ask next."

"Now I'm a little curious," she revealed. Her mouth crinkled in a show of expectancy.

"What do you think I'll ask?" He was trying to pick apart her brain and gain some insight into her expectations.

"Hmm. You never ask to ask questions unless it's something important or…"

"Or what?"

"Or something awkward," she finished.

He couldn't help himself from grinning. She got it right on the money. Asking a simple question could be such an awkward experience. One must consider the contents of the question, but has there ever been case where asking a question can dramatically change the very fundamentals of a person's relationship? Actually, he could already think of one: will you marry me? Obviously, asking that question was, well, out of the question. "Think I'm gonna ask you something awkward?"

"I don't know. Are you?" Her eyes danced with an amused revelry.

He wouldn't give in that easily. "On second thought, I won't ask the question."

"What?" she cried indignantly. "You're not allowed to retract your question."

"According to what?" he shot back.

"To the laws of question asking." Of course, we wouldn't want to be violating the laws of question asking now, would we?

"Maybe there was no question to begin with. What if this was all just a ploy to get you curious and frustrated about nothing."

"That would be absolutely awful of you."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," he laughed back.

"Being called awful isn't exactly a compliment," she logically responded, not that logic mattered in a game of equivocation.

"But it's the truth."

"I was just kidding. You're not awful, just only when you do things like this!" she accused with a pointed finger.

"Are you sure about that? Here's something you don't know. I let you win in Street Fighter 3."

She slapped him across the arm. "No way. Why would you do that?"

He winced and rubbed the spot gingerly. "Because if I didn't, you'd get all pissed and violent. Exhibit one, what just happened!"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. She knew he was feigning hurt, he wasn't hit _that_ hard. "Keep making excuses for your lack of skills."

"It doesn't change the fact that Chun-Li is overpowered!"

"Why wouldn't she be? You ever see the size of her thighs? I'd imagine they'd pack quite a punch." She punched the air as a demonstration, making him flinch just a little bit. He was getting bad flashbacks.

"More like a kick. You wish you had those thighs."

She giggled and flexed her arms. "I should start working out."

"I think you're perfect just the way you are," he said honestly, not that she picked up on it. In a battle of words, honesty becomes sarcasm.

"Aww. How sweet of you. But you definitely need to work out more. Your arms are so scrawny."

"Thanks. That's what I get for fishing compliments."

"It's not a compliment if it's the truth!" she yelled back, turning his earlier comment against him.

He let out an air of disbelief. "Guess I walked right into that one."

"You set it up for me perfectly," she winked.

"Mission accomplished then," he said, crossing his arms victoriously.

"Huh?"

"I have successfully made you forget all about my original question."

"Oh yeah!" she yelped. "Sneaky. So what was it?"

"Oh look, we're here!" he let out, trying to distract her. They were standing before his house. He began walking to the front door.

"Hey! Don't you dare!" she yelled after him.

Of course he dared. He sprinted off to his door with Kairi running close behind. He missed it all: the conversation, the repartee, the humor, the fun, all of it.

Not this time.

Not again.


	8. Cheat Codes

**Chapter 8**

"So what is it?"

Sora bit into his syrup-covered waffle and relished the flaky flavor. The blend of sweetness and corn crunch was positively brilliant. Whoever invented the waffle was a genius, but whoever thought of putting maple syrup on waffles was the master of all geniuses. He turned to Kairi, who was burning holes into him with her intense curious gaze. "What is what?" he replied innocently.

She took a large bite of her cookie and chewed it in a rather threatening manner, if one could do that with cookies. "The question you wanted to ask me."

"Oh that, ah, yes, let's see..." he hummed. "Let me finish my waffle first."

Kairi's head sank into her palms. "How did I know you were going to say something like that?" She puffed her cheeks. "You're so mean."

"Coming from you, that's a compliment." She was visibly upset. Perhaps it was time to end the charade? He finished the last bite and dusted his fingers against a napkin. "Damn that was good. I guess I've tortured you long enough. You really want to know?"

"Yes!" she shouted.

They were sitting at his kitchen island, munching on afternoon snacks. A hard day of work leaves most students hungry by the day's end. Their backs faced the living room where the TV was left to make advertising noise and marketing jingles. It wasn't the most romantic atmosphere, but it was a familiar one.

He was never too conscientious when he was alone with Kairi. In her presence, he switched to his "friend mode." The idea that he even liked her as more than friends had to remain far away, outside the borders of his mind—he wouldn't be able to talk to her normally otherwise. Except now he was all too conscious of his feelings towards her. Knowing that she might slip through his fingers again tends to force a new perspective. He couldn't tell if the feeling was working for or against him, but he had no choice but to follow through on his instincts.

"Have you ever wanted to change?" he asked. It was an underwhelming question, but one with great importance. Change was the one thing that eluded him all his life. Every time he tried to do something different, he would deem it unnecessary and revert back to his old self. He wondered if it was possible for a person to change through sheer force of will, or if it required something fantastic to happen—like time travel.

"Change? In what way?" In every way—so that you don't end up looking at a wedding invitation between the love of your life and your best friend, in a way that you can actually take control of your life and pursue the dreams you've always wanted to fulfill. That kind of way.

"Just change…to be different than who you are now."

"What kind of question is that?" she asked incredulously. He couldn't tell if she was upset or honestly confused.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he added in quickly. "I know it's a weird question but—I don't know." Crap. He was going back to his old habits again.

"Don't be dumb," she admonished. "It's just that—doesn't everybody want to change at some point? Nobody is perfect and the people who think they are, are usually the ones who need to change the most."

"Yeah, that's true." Even the amazing Riku had his moments of weakness. "Does that mean you want to change as well?"

"Why would I need to? Didn't you say I was perfect?" she teased.

"_Well excuuuse me princess,_ not everybody is as perfect you," he laughed back.

She smiled. "Of course I'm not perfect. If I was a stronger person, I could probably do something about the Student Council."

"But you are doing something. You're trying to reach the people who could change things." He was familiar with the routine: talk to the people in charge, ask if they could help, and learn what needs to happen before things can finally change. The biggest hurdle was first contact. Too many people decide that the best thing to do is whine. They should try directing that energy towards finding a solution. Speak for yourself Sora, how are you any different?

"I know, but is that enough? Isn't that just relying on other people to solve my own problems?" she admitted. What was wrong with relying on other people? So it's okay for Sora to rely on you, but when you have to do the same, all of a sudden it's bad? Sora shook his head at Kairi's exceptional logic; it was the kind thought process he specialized in. He was great at finding loopholes to exclude himself from fault. Perhaps he should've been a lawyer.

"Don't overthink things Kairi. It's not your problem; it's the Student Council's problem. Besides, what's wrong with relying on other people? How many times has it been that you've bailed me out? Going by your logic, I'm the one who needs to change the most."

She was taken back by his answer. In her idle musings, she never considered Sora's side of the story. She felt ashamed. "You don't need to change Sora. You're fine just the way you are." No, he wasn't. Fine wasn't enough. Fine didn't lead to anything. Fine might as well be death.

"You should rely on others more often," he advised. "I think you need others to rely on you too much."

"What are you saying?"

"It's just…you could be a little controlling at times."

"I'm not controlling," she stated contentiously. He hit upon a nerve. He could push it or he could leave it alone, but merely raising the point was probably enough to get her to think about it.

"Fine. You're not controlling. All I'm saying is that it's bad not to rely on someone every once in a while. Most people can't change by themselves. It's usually another person that changes you."

She was silent. She stared down at her hands and then looked at the clock. "I think I'm going to go now." Did he screw up?

"Aren't you going to wait for my mom?"

She shook her head. "It's fine. I'm gonna go now." He could've stopped her, but he didn't. He sat there and watched as Kairi gathered her things and walked to the front door. "I'll see you later. Bye."

She was gone.

He screwed it up didn't he? No, it was just pain. Nothing changes without a little pain; otherwise people would change all the time. It hurts to change. Pain is good. It's the first step. It wasn't like he was provoking her on purpose; it really was how he felt about her. He never realized it as a teenager, but in retrospect, he had relied on her far too much, which in turn made her reliant on his calls for help. It was a twisted symbiosis. She did everything for him: she told him which classes to take; she dragged him out of the house to hang out, and even ordered his meals for him. He liked having her look after him, but at the same time, there was an inequality to their relationship. It bothered him, if only on a subconscious level. He was never able to do anything for her, to repay her kindness. He was her charge, and rarely does one feel anything for their charge other than obligation. Was he even worth loving? What could he offer in return? He loved her, but that was it. Could he make her smile? Could he take care of her?

Everything was too one-sided. He didn't know enough about her to know either way. His love was laughable. If he didn't know her well enough to even fathom her reaction to his feelings, how could even claim his feelings for her as love? Irrationality rears its ugly head again. Nothing ever made sense. We all have our own preconceived notions about love, but the reality is messier, more twisted, and distorted than we realize.

He loved her sense of independence, but no one person could go through life alone. No matter how strong a person is, they need others to survive. Humans weren't designed for solo play. They are social by nature.

Which was probably why Riku was her perfect match. He was the one she could rely on. He recognized that she needed someone to support her while Sora did nothing but nurse his own pathetic feelings.

But now he had a maturity he didn't possess before. He had the knowledge and experience to change everything. Even now, their relationship seemed unequal, but for entirely different reasons. Was there an ethics guide when it came to time travel? Was there anything wrong with using future knowledge to take advantage of the present?

Screw it. The path to happiness was paved with murky morals.

The next day, Kairi didn't show up to escort him to school. It was a sign that he had an effect on her. Whether that was good or bad he didn't know. He wasn't too worried about it. Teenagers could take a simple piece of constructive criticism and turn it into a life-shattering revelation. Everything was exaggerated in high school. Telling somebody to work out was the same as calling them obese. Kairi needed some recovery time. His comments were probably much more effective since he wasn't really in the business of criticizing others. In middle school, he was the one who usually received the brunt of "constructive" remarks.

His old self would panic at this point and apologize to Kairi for no reason but he knew better now. There were other things he could do, like build up support for her in the Student Council. There had to be other freshmen on the council. It was just a matter of finding and talking to them. If Kairi wasn't going to use his mom's voice, then the least he could do was lend the freshmen's voice to her cause. The plan was set then; swing by the Student Council room after school.

The day passed quickly, with nary an appearance by Kairi at either break or lunch. When school officially ended, Sora met up with Riku.

"Is it just me, or is there no Kairi in sight?" the silver boy asked.

"It's just you," Sora replied.

"Seriously? Do you know something?"

"She has her hands full with the Student Council." Kairi's idea of conflict resolution involved throwing herself against a wall repeatedly until it broke down. Not the most elegant solution, but it was good for making excuses. Sora was an expert in that sort of technique. It was how he avoided Riku and Kairi after all these years. "She's throwing herself against a wall."

"Sounds like she needs some help."

"And that's why I'm joining the Student Council."

"Tch. I still can't believe you're actually serious about that. If you were going to join something, then you should've joined the blitzball team!" Sora raised his cast in response. "You could've waited til you were healed. Hasn't it been a month since the accident? Why's your arm still in a cast?"

"I visited the doc last week and he told me it wasn't ready yet. I still need more time to heal."

"Once it comes off, you'll have no excuse not to hang out with me and the blitzball guys."

"By then, I'll be a fully functioning member of the Student Council," Sora declared.

Riku smiled awkwardly and let out a long sigh. "I guess it's true what they say, once you get into high school, people change. Three months and you're completely different." Sora's change was admittedly a lot bigger than one summer. It was more like a decade.

"Is that bad?"

"It's not—it just feels like we're drifting apart." If you only knew, Riku. Try a ten-year separation before talking about drifting apart, a couple days in high school wasn't much.

"You shouldn't worry too much about it. Things could be lot worse."

"I guess you're right. Don't mind me, I'm just feeling lonely." He almost sounded serious.

"Haha. You'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" Riku waved goodbye and set off for blitzball practice. Sora headed in the opposite direction, where the Student Council was located.

He opened the door and poked his head into the room.

Empty.

He shouldn't have been surprised, considering Kairi's complaints the other day, but it was shocking to see an organization so lacking in organization. There was no presence, and he really did wonder where all the officers were. The place was in slight disarray, with spilled stacks of paper on the floor splayed. Sora took a few steps closer and picked up a page. Even if the officers weren't there, they at least left evidence of some kind of work. The page he held was a list of items with prices next to them. It was probably an inventory list, but some of the items did appear suspicious. What would the Student Council need with three barrels, ten funnels, and twenty glass jars for? Digging deeper into this mystery might prove a little dangerous, so he set it down against the table. Where was everybody?

"Um, excuse me?" a voice asked.

Sora's head almost hit the ceiling from the shock. Behind him was a blonde girl who, despite donning the Destiny High uniform, was able to blend in perfectly with the surroundings. She fiddled with a pair of rectangle glasses, adjusting them for better look. "You surprised me! Sorry, I didn't realize there was somebody here," he hastily excused.

"That's fine. Do you have any business here?" Something about her was visually arresting. Her hair was cut short, stopping right before the shoulders, giving her a cute and energetic look. He would've admired her for a little longer if it wasn't for her small frown.

"I'm here to uh...volunteer for the Student Council."

She shifted moods quickly. "Oh. I see. The officers aren't here right now."

"I noticed," he said, smiling.

The girl smiled weakly in return and sat down. "I'm sorry if I was rude, but it's my job to watch over the office."

"It's okay, it's my fault for not paying better attention when I came in, though, it doesn't look like there's much to watch," he joked.

"So you're here to volunteer?"

"That's the plan. I'm Sora by the way."

"I'm Naminé." She was Naminé? No way, she looked completely different than from the airport! People really do change through the years don't they? "If you want to start working, there's a list of tasks posted to the whiteboard over there."

Sora followed her finger to the whiteboard and looked over the task list. The most prominent task on display was "Clean the room." It was good to see the council had their priorities straight. He wasn't here to do work though. "Naminé, what do you think of the Student Council?"

"Huh?" She looked confused. She probably expected him to be working already. "It's just...something." What a wonderfully vague answer. A little more detail would be nice.

"Are they actually doing anything for the school?" he wondered.

"What does it matter?" she shot back irritated. Wow, where did that feistiness come from?

"It matters. I'd like to know whether our tuition money is actually being put to good use." Students should be concerned about their tuition. The prices for education were skyrocketing; a little accountability can only improve the situation. Destiny High was notorious for their academic rigor, if there was any student body that could use some fun, it was Destiny High's. That's how he saw the function of the Student Council at least. Why else would you give a group of students money? Certainly not to improve our own educational experience.

"We pay for the education; I don't think the students care about the Student Council or its events." She dismissed his concerns under the banner of apathy. Was this the norm? Even the Student Council didn't care about the Student Council? Something told him that this girl was a special case.

"I care. Don't you?"

She pushed a stray strand hand of hair out the way and stared dully at the boy. "Most of us have other things to worry about," she answered cryptically. Sora wanted to argue that members of the Student Council should be especially concerned about the money allocated to them for throwing events, but something in her tone gave him pause. He searched his memory for everything related to Naminé, but he didn't find much. He only knew her as one of Kairi's friends.

"Why are you in the Student Council?" It came more accusatory than he expected, but it was too late to take it back.

"Excuse me?"

He had to recover somehow, and fast! "You just don't seem very enthused about the Student Council, in fact, it seems like you want to be anywhere else but here."

Her eyes widened briefly but then sank in resignation. "I'm that simple to figure out?" She leaned her face against her palm. "You're right; I don't want to be here."

"Then why are you?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"The same reason you're here," she declared. The same reason? To drum up support for Kairi, or something else entirely?

"I'm just here to do work for the school. If that's your reason, then you have an odd way of showing it," he responded. Something was off about this girl.

"You just keep telling yourself that. Tell me, what do you know about the Student Council?"

"It's a group that handles all the school events," he explained. It was a generic explanation, one that could be easily applied to any school. He didn't know anything about Destiny High's Student Council because he never dealt with them. That reason alone was as good as any for joining the damn club. He was here to find out exactly what they did and how they did it.

"Wonderful," she replied sarcastically. "You obviously don't know how this place operates. There's a reason why nobody's here."

"And why is that?"

"It's because you're here now. Watch over this room for me okay? I need to get home early today, and I'm not gonna stay here and wait for a non-existent Student Council to return." She stood up and picked up her bag and walked to the door. "Toodles."

"Wai—," he tried saying, but she already left. "What the heck?" For the first time in this alternate universe, he was confused. Perhaps he leaned on his future experiences too heavily. Naminé was such a mystery to him. He was never close to her. From what little he remembered, Naminé was Kairi's pet saving project, an all too quiet girl who needed some poking and prodding from Kairi to get back into functional shape, but the girl he just met was anything but. His plan to drum up support for Kairi had taken an unexpected dive into irrelevance. There was no reason for him to be here.

So he went home.

With the day still open for business, and with no Kairi in sight, Sora was lost as to what to do. He did have a small idea but he wasn't sure if he should pursue it. Gah, why the hell not? What did he have to lose? So he pressed the switch for his laptop and turned it on. He sat in his room before the desk that used to command so much of his attention. They had fond memories together; endless days spent studying, reading, and scrawling on notepads just for the sheer thrill of it. He was sure he grinded his desktop to the pale wood beneath the finish, but that was in the future. He opened a blank page of Microsoft Word and stared at it.

The Keyblade Chronicles.

He could write it all over again. He remembered the first words to his story clearly:

_In another time and in another place…_

He stopped. There was something wrong about that sentence, as if continuing might bring about disastrous consequences. Everything after those words was gone. He couldn't remember past that opening. Why was this happening? He leaned back, trying to wrack his brain for the precise words but they wouldn't come. He had a general idea, but he couldn't attach the appropriate words to them. Concepts, characters, and settings were floating in space and he just couldn't organize them in the right fashion.

Was it because he was young again? Was his mind not mature enough to synthesize the elements into something coherent and readable? It was a completely different experience from his writer's block. With his writer's block, there was nothing but an empty void, but now, the ideas were there, he just couldn't grasp it. He closed down the document, not bothering to save the contents.

He knew that he couldn't rewrite the story.

It wouldn't be the same.

Things didn't have to be same, but they could be better. No single piece of work could ever be perfect. There was always room for revision and refinement. But there's purity to a story that goes beyond cosmetic additions and subtractions. It's a reflection of time, a mental state, of feelings. What he caught with his _Keyblade Chronicles_ was nothing less than lightning in a bottle, and rarely does lightning strike twice.

The door to his room opened.

"Sora, dinner's ready," his mom alerted.

"Already?" That was fast. How long had he been sitting in front of the computer?

"And Kairi's waiting downstairs for you."

"She is?"

"Uh huh. Don't keep her waiting too long now," she winked, before closing the door.

Sora went downstairs and saw Kairi waiting by the kitchen counter. She was adorned with casual attire, which was quite a sight considering how often she wore the school uniform. She looked nice in her cream-colored top and long skirt. Sora looked down on his home clothes and was noticeably underdressed by comparison.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hey, what's up? I didn't see you the whole day," he said in return. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." They went to the dining room table and sat down. Mrs. Hikari was busy cooking in the background. "I decided to take you up on your offer."

"What offer?"

"Your mom." He laughed out loud. Kairi was confused until she realized what she just said, and joined Sora in his fits. "You know what I mean."

"I'm not so sure," he said, feigning hurt. "So why the change of heart?"

"Your words the other day…they stung a bit." He was right; his words were a soft blow to her ego. She was resilient though, all she needed was a day to recover.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be, because you were right. Today, I tried to get the Student Council to see things my way but I didn't get anywhere. Seems like your mom is my best bet."

"I see. Can I ask you something?"

"Again? Don't tell me it's going to be another one of your mind games," she speculated saucily.

"Nothing like that," he laughed. "Do you know Naminé?"

"She's the other freshman in the council, what about her?"

"What do you think of her?" Naminé was such an enigma. He wanted to get a fuller portrait of her personality because she didn't fit with his mental profile, a profile he admittedly built from Kairi's word-of-mouth. He wanted some confirmation.

"She reminds me a lot about you actually. Real quiet and needs a lot of direction."

"Really? That doesn't sound like her at all." The girl was anything but quiet and seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

"Did you meet her?" she asked.

"Yeah, after school today," he detailed.

"Are you interested in her or something?" He really was, but not in a romantic sense.

"No, nothing like that," he deflected. "It's just…curiosity. Anyway, you're here for some dinner right?"

She nodded, "Your mom makes the best dishes!"

"Why thanks for the compliment!" Mrs. Hikari responded, approaching the table with dinner in hand. She handed each person a plate. "Eat up!"

Sora trained his eyes on Kairi, waiting for her to make her pitch. She looked back nervously and mouthed "after dinner." First contact really was the hardest hurdle.

"Mom, you know Headmaster Ansem don't you?" Sora mentioned nonchalantly.

"Of course, he's one of my best customers. I tend to his wife's garden. Why do you ask?"

"Because…I think Kairi could use some help at school." She gave a look that said "what are you doing?"

"Do you Kairi? What is it?" his mother asked.

"I-it's nothing." Kairi, you gotta learn how to ask for help.

"It has to do with the Student Council," Sora supplied. "The Council answers to the principal, but the principal is never there, so Kairi is hoping for an audience with the headmaster to sort these issues out."

"Oh dear," his mom gasped.

"Uh, what is it?"

"Do you know who the principal is?"

Sora and Kairi looked at each other. "No."

"The principal is Ansem's wife, Edea. She's currently recuperating in the hospital right now." That explains the principal's absence.

"Then who's in charge of the school right now?" Kairi wondered audibly.

"Ansem is on a leave of absence, which means the vice-principal is in charge."

"Who is Xehanort," Sora stated matter-of-factly. From his blitzball campaigning days, he remembered meeting with him once. It was a very awkward meeting. The inside of the office was cold, extremely cold, with the AC on full blast. The frigid temperatures didn't phase the old man one bit. If there was one word he could use to describe him, it would be "creepy." Xehanort had a wrinkled head, a serpent goatee, and piercing orange eyes.

The first thing he told Sora upon greeting was, "Tell me why should I care about you?" The man was awfully ambitious and only looked at Sora as a means of advancement in the school hierarchy. He was probably gunning for the top. Being Headmaster of Destiny High Academy was no small achievement since it was a position that wielded considerable influence. Xehanort was the kind of man who would do anything to get his way. His ambition was his downfall however.

During Sora's senior year, a story was printed in the school newspaper accusing Xehanort of corruption. He apparently covered up incidents involving his son, Xemnas. He also "persuaded" teachers to give Xemnas, who graduated from the academy with top honors, "adjusted" grades. There was a fair amount of controversy when Xemnas son graduated as Valedictorian since many felt that he didn't deserve it.

Both Xehanort and Xemnas were known to be ruthless and abused their powers over the student body. By the time the story came out, people didn't care as much since everybody had moved on from their dual reign of terror.

"Wait, isn't the current class president Xehanort's son, Xemnas?" Sora finally realized. The light bulbs all turned on at once. "This is what they call…a conflict of interest isn't it?"


	9. Escalation

**Chapter 9**

It was funny what one phone call could do.

An invisible shockwave was sent through the school administration, causing every employee, from the teachers to the janitors, to run for cover. The Headmaster ordered the Destiny High equivalent of Order 66, drawing in swarms of third-party auditors and investigators. Any teacher with half a brain knew that it was their neck on the chopping block. The school staff was left scrambling for the hills, and they had no idea who was the one who lit the fire.

While mass hysteria and panic spread through the faculty, for the students, it was just another Wednesday. They had no clue what was going on. As far as they were concerned, Xehanort was on vacation while the Student Council simply imploded on itself, with the entire organization frozen, and all officers relieved of duty. The Headmaster appointed a counselor as a temporary oversight officer for the council, at least until elections were held at the end of the year. People thought it was weird that the Student Council just collapsed like the Soviet Union, but nobody cared enough to find out why. The student body's indifference towards the once prestigious Student Council demonstrated just how far it fell from grace.

The counselor appointed as oversight officer was none other than Sora's counselor, Tifa Lockhart. She was sent to the Student Council room to hold a reorientation meeting for all current and prospective members of the now defunct organization. Sora, Kairi, along with some freshmen and sophomores sat at a table while Tifa forced a smile in front of them. It was painfully obvious that she was out of her element. Things were made worse since investigators were emptying out file cabinets in a none-too-discreet manner, causing a ruckus ill-suited for an important meeting.

"Alright boys and girls, I'm Ms. Tifa Lockhart. I'm sure some of you recognize me as your counselor, but from now on, I'll also be acting as…temporary…oversight…officer." She had great difficulty squeezing out the last few words. They were too foreign on her tongue. Kairi raised her hand, catching Tifa's attention. "Yes?"

"What exactly is a temporary oversight officer?" she asked.

"I was kind of hoping you could tell me that."

Bang!

Everyone jumped at the noise and looked towards the back. One of the investigators picked up a fallen drawer. He stared back as if he had done nothing wrong. "Am I interrupting something?" The sound of footsteps, fluttering loose-leaf paper, and banging shelves were the only response.

"No no, not at all. Carry on," Tifa offered in return, doing her best to smile. A round of snickers chorused around the table. Tifa planted her forehead in her palm. "I never asked for this. I signed up to be a counselor and help students find their way in life, not do oversight...officiating." Kairi raised her hand again. Tifa pointed to her. "Yes?"

"I have a suggestion, why don't you appoint _temporary _officers to watch over everything? You'll have the final say in everything of course; just to make sure we don't do something to threaten your job security."

"Whoa whoa, why you gotta bring up job security?" she laughed nervously. "It's not like people are getting fired here or anything, I'm not worried, not worried at all! I'm secure, totally secure, not like the other teachers. Having said that, that is an absolutely amazing idea. So who wants to be temporary president?" Kairi's hand was the only one up. "You're hired! So uh, take charge and start…presidentiating. If you guys need anything, I'm going to be in the gym." It was common knowledge what Ms. Lockhart did in the gym: beat the living daylights out of a punching bag she lovingly named as "Cloud." She basically said, "Don't bother me unless it's something important." As soon as she left, all eyes fell on Kairi. She put out a big grin.

"What are we waiting for? We have a homecoming to plan!" After the necessary positions were filled (treasurer, secretary, etc.), Kairi finally turned to Sora. "As for you Sora, congratulations, you are now vice president."

"Wow, I don't think I've ever held such a nice-sounding title." Kairi, now the new temp president, giggled at his words. "Who said you can't leapfrog your way into an executive position?" Sora mused.

"You did. You said, gotta work my way up, didn't you?" she reminded him.

"Did I?" he feigned. She slapped him on the arm. "Ow! What did I say about violence?"

Kairi giggled again. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't known that Xemnas was Xehanort's son. How did you even know that?" Xemnas grew up in an orphanage after his biological mom died, and was then adopted for his brilliance. It was impossible for Sora to know what he did, at least without future knowledge.

"They kind of look the same. I figure it was a family resemblance." Her face creased in disbelief, but there really was no other logical explanation. "That or I come from the future."

"Do you now? Can you tell me what happens next?" she teased.

Sora was about to answer until a hand landed on his shoulder. "Mr. Sora Hikari?" It was one of the suits. Three of them stood there. They put on an imposing front.

"That's me," Sora answered.

"The Headmaster wishes to see you. We'll escort you to his office," the man explained. The room stopped, and all eyes fell on Sora. It seemed like an incident was brewing. Kairi herself looked worried.

Sora gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay." The suits pulled from the room and lead the boy to the top floor where the Headmaster's office was. Sora had only been in the Headmaster's office once in his life. The top floor was exclusively for the Headmaster, so he was privy to an extremely rare space. Whispers floated around the students as to what the office was like. They imagined all sorts of crazy adornments, but the funny thing was, they weren't too far off the mark. Sure there weren't any giant stuffed grizzly bears or the like, but the office was obviously packed to the brim with luxury. Walking on the carpet even felt like stepping on hundred dollar bills. Sora was sandwiched by the suits, one in front leading, and two escorting from the rear. They finally stopped before a grand door.

"Here you are." The lead suit nodded and ushered the other two men away, leaving Sora alone by the office entrance. It was a large and intimidating door with intricately carved wood designs and patterns. The boy admired the craftsmanship, feeling the curve of the material with his free hand. He pushed it open to reveal a grand room.

Ansem sat behind a mahogany desk at the very end where giant glass windows let in a wealth of light. The ceiling was extraordinarily high for an office, with crystal chandeliers hanging from up high. As Sora approached the desk, he was keenly aware of the office interior. Everything seemed to be made from genuine hardwood, and every detail was lovingly hand-crafted.

Sora reached the old man, allowing him to see the mysterious Headmaster up close and personal. Ansem was an imposing figure with deep and penetrating orange eyes. His pale blond hair was immaculately groomed, and he wore clothes that Sora was sure cost more than his tuition. He certainly possessed a regal air.

"Come, have a seat," the Headmaster directed. It was probably the most comfortable chair Sora ever sat in. "Good afternoon Mr. Hikari, do you know why I summoned you here?" Sora shook his head. "It was because of your information that our investigation yielded...most interesting discoveries. I decided that you deserved to know the result of your actions." Ansem leaned back, as if expecting a response.

"So...what did you learn?" he hesitantly asked. Everything about the environment and Ansem himself was intimidating. The Headmaster's booming voice commanded attention. Sora felt the need to be careful with his words.

"By establishing a familial connection between Xehanort and Xemnas, we were able to find incidents by which his son was involved with, but never came to light thanks to Xehanort's abuse of authority. He had also threatened several teachers that they would lose their jobs if they did not make concessions in favor of Xemnas' grades. But Xehanort's crimes are far more gregarious than a few adjusted marks. Xehanort and Xemnas have, for the last three years, embezzled funds from the school." Embezzlement? Wasn't that a white-collar crime?

"Embezzled funds? How?"

Ansem narrowed his eyes, which sent a shiver down the boy's spine. "Through the student council. As you know, a percentage of the total tuition is appropriated for the Student Council, for use in student life; events, dances, and the like. Working with his father, Xemnas had been making false purchases using fake invoices. Money was actually being transferred into dummy accounts under the guise of buying event supplies. The actual events were underfunded and less frequently held as a result. Xehanort had taken full advantage of my wife's illness, employing his scheme while I was not here to oversee things. There are oversight committees to prevent this, but I suspect that Xehanort has corrupted them."

"Wow." What else could he say? To think that something like this was happening right under their noses!

"Indeed, a lot can happen from learning just one key piece of information. This was all thanks to your intel. Our investigation has indeed confirmed that Xehanort is Xemnas' true biological father, though he went to great pains to hide that fact. I have to say, however, that I am most curious as to how you obtained that information?"

Sora had no idea what to say. What he told Kairi wouldn't fly here. "I..."

Ansem laughed. "You don't have to tell me, I was simply curious. I'm sure you understand that everything I've told you is quite sensitive?" Sora nodded. "And I trust that you won't tell anyone else about this?" He nodded again. "It's just unfortunate that a man of Xehanort's talent would abuse his power like this, and for such petty things. Someday, you'll understand the temptation of power. Use it responsibly like you've done today. Before I dismiss you, do you have any questions for me?"

As far as he was concerned, the problem of the Student Council was resolved. He didn't realize that the Student Council was only a front for illegal activities, but as long as Kairi was able to pursue her dreams, everything was peachy. He did want to know one thing though, "Why tell me all this?"

"Because I wanted you to understand that actions have consequences. The opposite is also true, inaction also has consequences. If your mother hadn't called me with that information, for how long would Xehanort continue to rob these children blind? This entire fiasco is my fault. I should've known that when I took a leave of absence the moment my wife fell ill, there would be a power vacuum. Love tends to blind us from the most obvious things. My wife is dying Mr. Hikari. I want nothing else but to spend every last moment with her. But to do so would incur great cost. I have a responsibility to this school and its students. I can't throw that away just to be with my wife. It only makes me wish that I had spent more time with her before, but I know how she feels. She would rather have me here, fulfilling my obligations, than be right next to her."

"I'm sorry." It was a cliché offer of consolation.

"That's quite alright. We must all recognize that we have to return to the real world one day. For me, that day has come. Thank you Mr. Hikari, for reminding me of my passion: to educate the youth of Destiny Island. You are dismissed." Sora let out a breath. That was intense. He stood up and turned around to leave, but Ansem's voice stopped him one more time. "Can you please tell Aerith to bring more jasmine flowers the next time she visits? They're my wife's favorite." Jasmine was a beautiful flower with a wonderful scent.

"Of course, Headmaster."

The second he left the office, Sora wiped the sweat off his brow. He could never get used to the atmosphere. He wasn't surprised to learn that Xehanort had been engaged in such shady business. He recalled the stories published about him in the past. The story about Xehanort in the school newspaper only drew further scrutiny, and it wasn't until much later that charges of embezzlement were levied against him. There were always suspicions, but the evidence just wasn't there.

As soon as Kairi was elected to Student Council President in her sophomore year, a mysterious fire rippled through the council room. Much of the documents related to the last few years were destroyed. Blame fell on Axel, but his punishment was unusually lenient for an act of arson. It was declared to be an "accident," and that was the end of that.

Sora made his way back to the council room. It was finally bustling with students who actually worked. Kairi sat at the desk, scrolling through different documents. She looked up and recognized him.

"Welcome back!" she greeted. "So what was that all about?"

"He just wanted to thank me," Sora said low, as to not alert the other students. He did make a promise not to tell anyone else about the affair. The Headmaster wanted to maintain the school's reputation. If such a scandal came to light, things would not look good for him at all.

"Is that it? You were in there for at least half an hour," she rebutted.

"It was a thirty-minute thank you," he answered cheekily.

Kairi shook her head. "Forget I asked."

"So what are you up to?" He took a seat next to her and looked over the documents she was holding.

"I'm trying to get an idea of how much money we have, but its kind of hard to do that with these men coming in and out taking all the papers!" she complained. He glanced at the table and saw bins of paper that were labeled "processed." He assumed that Kairi was going through those. "I'm trying to decide on a venue, but I can't do that unless I know our budget."

"Ooh! Pick me, pick me!" one of the students shouted out.

"What is it Hayner?" Kairi replied. Hayner. Sora remembered him. He was also a part of the Student Council. He used to do all the grunt work.

"Why don't we use the gym? Since it belongs to the school, it should be free right?" he suggested.

Kairi made a show of thinking about it, but shook her head vehemently afterward. "Right now, there's not a whole lot of respect for the Student Council. If we really want to gain their attention, we have to go all out! The gym is what the old council would've done."

"I have a suggestion," Sora chimed in. "What about the Galbadia?"

"The Galbadia?"

"It's a hotel, and they often work with my mom. She always arranging for events like weddings and conventions there. On the third floor, they have this giant ballroom that'd be perfect for homecoming, but there is one thing."

"And what's that?" the temp president asked.

"It's pricey."

Kairi slammed her stack of documents against the table. "I'm sold! It doesn't matter how much it costs. We can't spare any expense when it comes to the students. Hayner, book it!"

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted.

The Galbadia was a truly beautiful place. Sora had helped his mom in the past with her job, so he knew his way around the hotel. It sat right in front of the beach and offered amazing views for anybody inside. The third floor ballroom was amazing. Long drapes streamed from the walls, gleaming polished floors reflected everything, and the glass windows offered a perfect view of the setting sun. There was no better location for a dance.

The days flew by as work escalated in the Student Council room. The logistics to throwing an event were mind-boggling, but it was something Sora knew well. He was able to stay on top of things, much to Kairi's surprise. She never knew that he could be so reliable and dependable. Whether it came to reservations, catering, décor, or managing personnel, Sora did it all with great skill and patience. Before she knew it, she found herself relying on him.

"Aren't you a busy bee?" Mrs. Hikari teased. Sora was at the dining table, looking over invoices. He looked up at his mom and smiled.

"Kairi's the one going crazy. I'm just trying to help out," he laughed back.

"It's nice to see you so active," his mom commented. "But it feels like you're spending too much time at school nowadays. Don't you have any time for you poor mother?"

Sora laughed. "Sorry about that mom, but you know, duty calls."

"I understand," she said, hugging her son close. "I'm proud of you. Keep working hard!" The doorbell rang. "Ah, I'll get that. You just keep working." Sora watched as his mom skipped to the front door. She opened it, revealing an odd couple. "Hi there! Cid, Shera, so nice to see you! To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Always great to see you Aerith!" Shera replied. The smell of pie wafted in the kitchen, causing Sora's stomach to rumble.

"Aerith," Cid grunted.

"Come on in!" Mrs. Hikari directed. The couple stepped in and spotted Sora by the table.

"Hey there, kiddo!" Shera greeted happily. "I have something for you!" She raised up a pan with a freshly baked pie.

"Aw, you're the best Aunt Shera!" She was a pretty woman with brown hair tied up in a pony tail and warm eyes. She left her rocket science days behind and decided to become a cook, leading her to create all kinds of novel recipes for new pies. She traded one science for another, much to Sora's delight. He couldn't eat rockets after all.

"Aren't ya forgettin' somebody kid?" a gruff voice shouted.

"Oh, hiya Cid."

"That's Uncle Cid to ya, punk." The engineer came up to the boy and mussed his hair. "Where have ya been? I could use yer help at the shop," the man laughed. Working with Cid was not a pleasant experience. The engineer wasn't a unique character. The aerospace engineering field was filled with nothing but chain-smoking, alcoholic, verbally abusive, but brilliant men. It wasn't easy being the scrawny kid whose intelligence registered less than one on the aerospace scale. He was a prime target for all jokes regarding brain power and strength. It was a trauma that took years to overcome.

"I'd rather not. Besides, I'm handicapped," the brunet replied, raising his cast.

Cid hit the boy in the back. "That don't stop better men, boy. Busy with yer nonsense Student Council? I hear there's been a shakedown at the school. Tifa's been goin' crazy over it," he chuckled.

"Leave the poor woman alone, she has a lot to deal with," Aerith said, smiling. "Now Shera, you have got to share your new recipe with me."

"I'd love to!"

"Boy, lets git outta here while the missus are in the kitchen." It was time for a smoke break. Sora followed the older man to the backyard, where his mom's personal garden was. It was secretly one of Destiny Island's greatest tourist locations, only if they were lucky enough to see it. Where most gardens were tilled and trimmed to fit our practical needs, Aerith's garden was simply a space where flowers could be themselves. It was a wild patch of exploding colors, unique shapes, and fresh smells—a tiny slice of paradise. The brunet would've liked to take in the sweet scents, but it was quickly overtaken by smoke.

He coughed lightly. "You should quit smoking."

"Wouldn't that be the day?" the blond mused, as he sucked on his stick. He opened his mouth, allowing the smoke to vent. "I remember the day I proposed to Shera. She agreed to marry me on one condition, and that was if I quit smokin'. I thought it was a bullshit condition, so I told her, 'The day I stop smokin' is the day I git kids.' I was serious when I said it, but it looks like that day will never come." He laughed sardonically. "Life's shit when you think about it. Shera shoulda just let me done it."

"Do what?" Sora echoed.

"Kill the man. Dr. Hojo, the man responsible for the whole project. But she stopped me before I could. He gets a medal for space exploration, and all we get is a paltry check to shut us up. I dunno how she could do it, how she could smile after all that's happened. Shera's the strongest person I know."

"Even stronger than you?"

"I said she was the strongest didn't I? Let me tell you something about love." Oh dear, this was guaranteed to be something special. "When it comes to love, yer feelin's don't mean shit. The only thing that matters is her." Cid let out a long drag. "It took me a long time to learn that. I'm set in my ways. Dunno if I'm ever gonna quit. Sometimes, it's no use fixin' up an old bird. You gotta let go, and throw it in the scrap heap." A lot happens in a decade. Was there any way Sora could tell this Cid that things were going to turn out fine? The man who flew him from Radiant Garden to Destiny Islands was a much different man than this.

"Cid."

"Uncle Cid." He didn't omit the "uncle" on purpose; his brain just wasn't able to juxtapose the two words together.

"Uncle Cid, I mean. Things are going to be okay. You just have to stick with life long enough to see things change."

The engineer took in a long drag and smirked. "You startin' to sound like yer old man!" Sora smiled. His words seemed to cheer the engineer up. Cid handed the lit cigarette to Sora. "Here, throw this away for me."

Sora had to get rid of it quick, his mom hated cigarettes in the garden.

"Sora, would you like a slice of—what on earth are you doing! Throw that thing away!" his mother screeched. Too late.

"It's not what it looks like!"

Cid guffawed in the background.

The next few days blew by like a cool autumn breeze. Things move fast when you're busy. He spent countless days after school working with Kairi to make sure that everything was going to be perfect. He wasn't a stranger to the process. His memories of high school were never too distinct. It was all just a blur, a blend of constant toil and failures, a persistent application of force against immovable objects. He was always moving and never had a chance to slow down and appreciate the ride. Before he knew it, high school was over.

But he was rewriting history. It wasn't a blur now. Each day was exciting, filled with anticipation, and fun. He was spending time with Kairi. The moments together with Kairi that used to be so rare now rained like cherry blossoms in full bloom. He wished time would freeze, so that he could enjoy it forever.

Sora was walking through the school hallway by himself. It was late after school and most of the students had already gone home. His footsteps were the only sound heard, until a voice caught his attention.

"Sora!" He spun around to see Naminé standing before a glass case. She was waving at him. "Get over here." He hadn't seen Naminé at all since his encounter with her in the empty Student Council room.

"Naminé…where have you been this entire time?" he asked, as he jogged up to her.

She stood there with her hands behind her back. She adjusted her glasses and gave a small smirk. "Did you miss me?"

"Well…yeah. I thought you were in the Student Council? How come you never show up?" he wondered. She had almost slipped his mind. He was so busy working with Kairi that he forgot about her.

"Silly. Didn't I tell you? The moment you joined the council, I was no longer needed." The brunet only furrowed his brow in confusion. "How's the arm?"

"I got used to it. Even though it's still in a cast, I figure I just have to wait it out a little longer."

"You've been spending quite a lot of time with her haven't you? One might say, you actually like her," Naminé teased. Was she referring to Kairi?

Sora rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "What do you know?"

"Only as much as you do," she said mysteriously. She switched her attention back to the glass and hummed. "Hmmm…care to take a look at this?" She gestured towards a painting behind the glass case. They were standing near the front office, where they displayed trophies and awards, with some that belonged to the school and others to exceptional students. Sora took a closer look, seeing a portrait of a white spiral staircase in the shape of a double helix.

"It's a nice picture."

"Do you like it?" Her expression was expectant.

"I'm not much of an art aficionado, but I can read. This picture won first place, didn't it?"

She was disappointed. "You didn't answer my question."

"It's good," he gave hastily. "Is there a meaning behind it?"

She sighed. "Just admit it; you don't care about the painting. I was the one who made it, you know."

He blinked. "Oh."

She giggled at his face. "You wouldn't be able to tell, because I didn't put my name on it. Kairi gave me the courage to submit it but…I couldn't put my signature on it. It felt too embarrassing. I could claim the award for first place, but I think I'd like it to remain nameless."

"There's an award?" he asked.

"Yup. It's not restricted to this school, it was a national art contest."

"National?"

"The first place prize is one thousand dollars," she revealed.

"And you're not gonna claim that?" he replied incredulously. "You mind if I do?"

She laughed. "Take a closer look, Sora. Tell me what you see?"

"Did I miss something the first time?" He leaned his head closer to examine the picture more carefully. He finally saw it. "The top leads to the bottom. It's a closed loop."

"Bingo! I drew inspiration from Escher, who as you may know, was famous for perspective drawings filled with impossible angles and paradoxes. It doesn't matter how far you up go, because you'll wind up back at the beginning again."

"What a horrible staircase," he joked.

"What would you do if you were stuck on these stairs?" she pondered.

"If going up or down doesn't work, then sideways?" he worked out.

"And off the staircase?"

Sora looked at the picture again. The staircase was floating in white space. Escaping from the stairs meant jumping into a white void. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Maybe, but when you're desperate, what else are you going to do? Sometimes the only thing you can do is…jump."

"Jump?" he repeated.

"That's right. Jump off the staircase. I'm sure I've taken up too much of your time Mr. Vice President. I'll leave you to your errands now." Naminé turned on her heels and started walking away.

"Hey, wait up!" he called after her.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you go back to the Student Council? We could use some extra help."

"I can't, remember? Because you're there now. Be careful, Sora, and don't get carried away now." She disappeared behind a corner. Sora rubbed the back of his head nervously and observed the painting again.

"It might not be so bad to be stuck on a staircase with Kairi though."

With each and every second he spent with her, he could tell that things were changing between them. It was the small things, like how she smiled every time he walked into the room, or how she snaked in close just to show him a document. She would rest her hands on his shoulders as he worked on the computer, and leaned in so close that he could smell her strawberry-scented shampoo. These small touches, exchanges of contact, revitalized him. They were injections of happiness in a dull past, now vibrant and coursing with color.

Sora was reviewing some documents in the council room with the other members when the door opened. An open door was no cause for concern, but the vice president felt everything slow down. He looked up to see that Riku had poked his head in. Was the council so star struck by his appearance that productivity dropped?

"What are you guys doing? Keep working!" he ordered. Everybody returned to business. Good. He turned to Riku, who was motioning vigorously with his hands to lead him outside. What could this be about? The vice president followed his friend outside. Riku kept walking, prompting Sora to match his pace beside him.

"Man, we haven't seen each other in a while have we?" Riku exhaled.

"We see each other everyday in homeroom," Sora rebutted.

"Yeah, but that's in class, that doesn't count. It's been a couple months since school started hasn't it?" Sora nodded. "Look where we are now: I'm on the blitzball team, and you and Kairi are head of the Student Council."

"We're only temp officers."

"You know what I mean."

"You sound kind of wistful there, Riku. You got something on your mind?"

Riku stopped moving and stood before an empty athletics field. They had walked all the way from the Student Council room to the outside. It was an expansive field that stretched across one and a half square miles. They were near the stands. The blitzball star leaned on a railing near the bleachers. The sun was setting, casting a nice orange tint on the green grass. "Yeah, the homecoming game is coming up soon. It'll be a big one, and everybody's expecting a win. I'm sad you guys haven't showed up to any of my games so far."

Sora frowned. "Sorry about that, it's just that homecoming is—"

"It's okay. I understand you guys are busy." Riku made a sidelong glance at his companion's cast. "Have you asked her out yet?"

"Who?" Sora repeated, feigning ignorance.

"Kairi."

"Oh her? Nah, I haven't done anything yet." It was the truth. He didn't want to force the issue by asking her out, he just wanted to spend time with her, and show through his actions how he felt about her. Something about this situation felt familiar though. He was having a raging case of déjà vu. An empty athletics field, standing by the bleachers, and a setting sun, it was exactly the same as last time when Riku asked him…

"Are you ever going to ask her out? Because if you aren't, then I will."

This was it.

This was the moment that changed everything. Even though they were under a different context this time, the situation still came about. Were some events inevitable? Sora was reminded of the time stream theory. The theory stated that changes in the timeline were only as big as a rock thrown in a river. A giant boulder could divert the stream for some time, but the water will rush around it and flow like normal afterward. Were Riku and Kairi fated for each other no matter what he did? Sora thought about it. He could answer differently and get Riku to back off, but he decided to give the same answer that he did last time, and say the same words that he had always regretted saying:

"Go for it."


	10. Crest

**Chapter 10**

"Are you serious?" Riku cried, not expecting the answer.

Sora smiled back, and turned to look at the field, which was fading fast from the setting sun. Outside would soon be plunged into night, and the bright lights would flare up on the field. "Yeah, I mean it. Go for it."

This was the answer that led to his downfall, why was he re-orchestrating events to turn out the same way?

It was because he wasn't expecting things to turn out the same. The last time he gave his answer, it was because he didn't have the confidence to ask her out. He didn't believe in himself and entrusted Kairi with Riku instead. It wasn't a genuine blessing, but a blessing born out of fear.

This time was different.

He gave the same answer because he had confidence now, not in himself, but in Kairi. He trusted her, and with all the time they spent together, she had to say "no," for his sake. It would be a true test to see if he really did change this time, enough to catch Kairi's attention and reject Riku. Things could backfire on him, but he was willing to take that gamble.

"Don't worry about me, just go for it," Sora encouraged.

Riku's face brightened. "Have I ever told you that you're the best?"

"Not enough times," he remarked back.

Riku laughed at the small joke and folded his hands. "Do you think you could help me though?"

Sora raised his eyebrows. "How?"

"I know Kairi must be super-busy with being president right now, but do you think you could convince her to come to the homecoming game? My plan is to ask her to homecoming, right after we win."

Sora smirked. Riku's optimism was infectious. It was hard not to get caught up in his pace. "The victory's a foregone conclusion?"

Riku's grin answered the rhetorical question.

"Yeah, I can. It might take some convincing, but I can be very persuasive. Just so you know, I probably won't be there, especially if I convince Kairi to come."

"You'll be there in spirit," the silver boy countered.

"Definitely." They fist bumped and parted ways.

Everything came to down to the homecoming game. Kairi's response would determine whether or not this extracurricular excursion back in time would be a complete waste of time. He'd like to think that he was putting things up to chance because of faith, but perhaps it was because he still didn't believe in himself, and that he would rather trust Kairi to make the decision for him. No, he couldn't think that way, going down that road led to nothingness. Things had changed this time. He made sure of it.

In the days that followed, Riku pestered him about it constantly. Sora reassured his friend that she was going to show, he was just waiting until the last moment to convince her. The week finally approached its end.

Everybody would probably be at the game, but knowing Kairi, she would be in the council room trying to squeeze in more work. She was a raging workaholic. It was simultaneously her best and worst quality. He was the same, but they immersed themselves in their work for different reasons. Kairi worked hard because she genuinely believed in her cause. He worked hard because he wanted to distract himself from life. On the outside, they were similar, but on the inside, they were worlds apart.

As soon as he walked into the student council room, Kairi was already face-deep in some maps.

"You look like you're busy," he greeted, catching her attention.

"Sora," she grinned. She was by herself, just like he thought.

"Thinking about pulling another all-nighter?" It was just an expression; they didn't actually stay in school the whole night. It was autumn though, which meant faster days. By the time the school closed at eight and they had they to leave, it would be night.

Kairi stretched her arms back and yawned. "This is my first time throwing such a big event. It's a bit nerve-wracking and stressful. I just want everything to be perfect," she explained. "Things are coming down to the wire." Exhaustion was evident in her face. Tell-tale raccoon eyes were beginning to show.

"Is being president what you expected?"

"Temp President," she corrected. "I think I regret raising my hand. It's a lot more work than I expected, things are way bigger now than they were in middle school. If you weren't here to help, I'd be completely lost. How did you get so good at this?" It was a softball question.

"I picked it up from a…summer internship." It was a lame answer, but he threw out the first thing that came to mind.

"Really? Where at?" she probed.

"With uh...Cid."

"You mean with the same Cid who you absolutely hate working for, where all you do is carry machine parts and get made fun of?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "Well, wherever you got your skills from, I'm just glad you have them. You've been a massive help. You always seem to know exactly what to do." She had great respect for him. He went beyond what she thought he was capable of.

"If that's the case, you want to switch places?" he proposed.

"What?" It was time to spring the trap.

"I can be prez, and you can be VP," he explained simply.

"And why would I want to do that?" she said, not sure if he was serious.

"Because the homecoming game is today."

Memory finally struck her. "I forgot..." she gasped.

Sora shrugged his shoulders and took a seat. "We've been doing a lot of work lately, so Riku's been feeling a little lonely. I think he could use some moral support, and that you, could use a little break."

Her eyes tilted upwards. "I don't know, I mean there's still a lot of things I have to review and—"

"I'll take care of it," he interrupted.

She gave him a hesitant glance.

"Trust me."

"I..."

"Come on, weren't you just praising my skills a minute ago?" he reminded her.

She finally relaxed, sinking into her chair, and giggled. "You're right. I'm relying on you then. Don't let me down."

"Never," he declared, smiling. "Alright Kairi, time to get out of the cave. I'll hold the fort down in your absence." His hands went to the papers but she stopped him.

"Just before I go, do you mind if I could have just one little look at—"

"Get out of here woman!"

"Going, going!" she sang.

Sora grabbed the documents, stood up, and led her to the door. "Go out and enjoy yourself. Don't forget to cheer hard for the team!"

Kairi nodded and set off for the gym.

He shut the door and put his back against it. "Time for some work," he told himself.

He sat down at the desk and looked over the hotel floor plans, making note of the entrances and fire exits. Other locations were also marked on the map, such as the photo booth, the catering table, and the security posts. As his eyes wandered the 2D space, his mind drifted to Kairi. He was anxious to know if Kairi would say "yes" again. Unlike Destiny High's victory, the result of this situation was still very much in the air. He hoped that it wouldn't be a repeat of last time.

The memory that he fought so hard to suppress bubbled back to the surface. He blotted this incident out for the last decade of his life. He tried to drown it under years of unfounded altruism, but he found himself in the same situation now, and his only frame of reference was this memory.

Back then, Kairi wasn't the temporary president; she was a lowly intern charged with mundane tasks, and Sora was working as team manager for the blitzball team. They were both able to come and watch the game. He remembered watching the match unfold with great anxiety. It wasn't the game he was worried about; he was worried about what would happen after the game. Would Riku really ask Kairi out?

When Destiny High claimed victory and the stands emptied into the gym floor, Kairi ran up to Riku to congratulate him. Sora remained still, watching the events unfold from the sidelines. He didn't want to interfere he told himself. He was far away and could only see their lips move. Riku seemed to be thanking her and it looked like he popped the question. Kairi's face registered a small shock, but Sora read her lips clearly.

"Yes."

In that moment, all love for the couple in front of him was lost. He hated them, but most of all, he hated himself.

Riku turned to him and gave a thumbs up.

His heart shattered at the sight. Most people can't pinpoint the exact moment their lives took a turn for the worse, but for Sora, this was that moment. His legs wobbled, the energy sucked out of them from a mere thumbs up, he collapsed against the bench, and did the only thing he could think of:

Smile.

After an intense internal debate, he came up to them and offered his congratulations. From that point on, it was excuses, excuses, and more excuses.

High school relationships were usually fleeting, but that wasn't the case with Riku and Kairi. There was an instant connection that anyone could notice. They always smiled around each other and they emitted an aura of pure bliss. It was something special, something far beyond your standard high school relationship.

It was true love.

In the face of true love, what the hell could Sora do?

Absolutely nothing.

Kairi was his everything, his world, and for her to be snatched away just like that—there was nothing left. So he fell in the heaviest depression of his life. He couldn't let them know, so he acted, and maintained a cover of indifference. He decided to change outside, forced himself to become more outgoing, fixed a permanent grin on his face, and tried his best to laugh at life. He'd always had a tiny voice in his head with witty remarks on command, so he unleashed that voice in the classroom, not caring if it got him into trouble; after all, he already lost the most important thing in his life.

Once he got home though, he disappeared. He locked himself in his room and cried, stared at the ceiling, dazed, and refused to eat until absolutely necessary.

Alive at school, but dead at home.

His horrendous grades prompted an intervention by Tifa, which then inspired his subsequent academic zeal. Then he met Yuffie, who made him realize that there were better ways of ignoring the two best friends who have stuck with him for most of his life.

Yuffie was only the first.

"Hi, my name is Olette; do you think I could interview you?" She was an aspiring writer working for the school newspaper who wanted to interview him about his exploits regarding the female blitzball team. She approached him early in his project, before it really got off its feet. He was surprised he made enough noise to draw out a reporter—albeit, an extremely green one. She was a cute brunette, with long wavy hair, and wandering emerald eyes. A notepad and pen was firmly attached to her hands, a plain show of her journalistic aptitude.

Sora looked around to see who she was talking to but realized that it was him. "You're straightforward aren't you?"

Her cheeks reddened. "Was that too forward? I'm sorry."

"Its fine, it's fine. Its okay with me, but you probably won't get too many interviews talking like that. For one, did you even address me by name?"

She gasped, realizing her mistake. "Oh, sorry, sorry! You're Sora, right?"

"Yeah, I am. You have to realize the value of a good introduction. Do you know how hard it was for me to get meetings with the school administrators? I didn't even get to talk with them half the time. I had to plead with their secretaries just to get a timeslot," he revealed.

Olette hung on to his every word.

He gave her an odd look.

"Ack! I'm sorry. It's just that I'm new to this. Interviewing people seems so...daunting." He felt sorry for her, but if it was so daunting, why was she trying to do it?

"Okay. Let me give you some advice. Interviewing is all about listening. You have to make me comfortable enough to talk, so first, let's find a nice and quiet place to sit down," he instructed.

She stood there and expected him to say some more, but he was waiting for her to find a place. She quickly caught on and looked around, spotting a shady bench under a tree. She had caught him while he was leaving school, which explained why they were outside. "How about here?"

"That's just fine."

She appeared exceptionally happy for that one small victory.

Sora sat down and crossed his arms. "The next thing, you have to look interested in what I'm saying. So don't write in your notepad like you're doing right now."

"But," she started to protest, "How am I supposed to record anything?"

Sora pointed to her ears. "By listening. Now look at me and maintain eye contact."

She had extreme difficulty gazing into his eyes. "Oh no, I blinked!"

Sora cracked in amusement. "This isn't a staring contest. Just maintain eye contact. Don't lean back, lean forward. It makes you look more interested, and the most important thing, always wait for the other person to finish talking before asking another question. So, with that out of the way, you got any questions?"

"Um...do you think you could repeat all that for me?"

Though she could be exasperating at times, it was fun teaching her all the tricks that he learned when it came to talking to people. He was her first story, and ever since that interview, she would periodically check in to see his progress or pick up a few new tips. On the momentous day that Headmaster Ansem announced the formation of the female blitzball team; Olette was the first to break the news and wrote a feature detailing his entire journey. The story won an award for excellent school journalism and garnered her much attention. It was then that she transformed into an excellent writer and reporter. In their senior year, she broke another splashy story—the Xehanort-Xemnas scandal.

Then there was Pence, who was secretly taking and selling locker room photos of the school girls. He was trying to raise funds for a new camera but Sora put a stop to his shady business. Through his mom's contacts, Sora hooked Pence up with a job at a wedding photography agency, putting an end to the sordid affair.

Then there was Selphie, whom he foisted the team manager job upon, under the pretense that she could meet a lot of hot guys there. He just really hated the job. As far as he knew, Tidus and Selphie were still together in the future.

And finally there was Hayner. He really didn't do much for him, but they hung out.

All these new "friends" served but one purpose for Sora: diversion. He did it all, just to avoid having to deal with the truth: that Kairi and Riku were together. He had a good run with it. Riku was busy with blitzball and Kairi was busy as president of the Student Council, but he couldn't get away with ignoring them forever. They noticed that he was drifting away.

Enough was enough, and Riku finally confronted Sora. It was on the one day that Sora truly had nothing to do and that everybody was busy doing something else. The blitzball star cornered his estranged friend on the way home.

"Sora, we need to talk."

"Hey Riku!" he greeted back with his careless demeanor. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I got some business to attend to."

"No you don't, cut it out with the bullshit excuses already! I know you're free right now because I've talked to all of your friends. You don't think I haven't noticed? You don't think _we_ haven't noticed?"

Sora didn't waver from his plastered grin. "Notice what?"

"That you're avoiding us! That you're shutting us out of your life. Why Sora? Is it because you still like Kairi?" the white-haired boy accused.

Sora threw his head back in laughter. "You still on about that? Wasn't I the one to tell you to go for it? I'm over her dude, she's all yours. It has nothing to do with her." That was the end of that, so Sora turned his back to get away.

Riku's firm hand stopped him. "I'm not so sure."

Sora pulled the offending appendage off him. "All I ever had for her was a crush. Nothing more. You're the one that's trying to turn this about Kairi." His eyes narrowed at Riku. Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone? Riku's very presence was a persistent reminder of his failure to act! Riku should be spending time with Kairi, not bothering some poor kid who already gave up on life.

"If it isn't about her, then what is it about? Why are you running away from us?"

Sora was at his wit's end. He couldn't ignore them now, but he had long ago prepared for a situation like this. If they weren't willing to let him go, he would just have to give them a good reason for doing so. He had to make them hate him. "Because I've found better friends now."

"Bullshit." Riku didn't believe him for one second. This was Sora, their best friend, they were practically brothers!

Sora laughed darkly. He knew what he was about to say would hurt. Even in the hardest lies, there was a tiny bit of truth. He just had to take this small truth and blow it up, embellish it to enormous heights, and Riku and Kairi will forget all about him. "Get off your high horse, when was I anything but a way for you guys to feel good about yourselves? You were always getting into fights for me and Kairi was always making decisions on my behalf. You guys never cared about what about what I thought. I couldn't so much as breathe without you guys on my ass. What's bullshit is this thing you call friendship between us. This isn't friendship, this is just obligation."

Riku was speechless. The words were harsh and bitter. They were spat with the most venom he ever heard Sora speak with. Had he been harboring these feelings all these years? "But we do care about you Sora!"

"Don't," he warned. "Just care about yourselves. We'll all be better off that way."

Riku shrank in response, unable to say anything because of the shock.

Sora clenched his teeth and walked away. He thought it would be hard to lie straight to his friend's face like that, but it was a lot easier than he thought. Was it because he was starting to believe in his own bullshit? In either case, he hoped that it would be enough to keep them away.

That was the formula. Be nice to everyone else, but be an asshole to Riku and Kairi. By the time they figured out what he was doing, it was too late.

Sora was watching over the school courtyard from the rooftop when the door behind him exploded open.

"You're a real asshole you know that?" Riku insulted as he approached the brunet. "This entire time, you were just pretending!"

It took him that long to figure it out? It had been months since their last confrontation. They never saw each other too much. His academic excellence had given him a reprieve from Riku with all the AP and honors classes on his schedule. "What makes you say that?"

"I've talked to all your friends, and they all say the same thing: you're a good guy."

He knew his plan had a loophole. If he really wanted to, he could've treated everybody like shit, but it just wasn't in him. But he wasn't going to let go of the illusion he so carefully constructed that easily. "No, I'm not." What kind of good guy abandons his friends? "What if the ones I've been pretending to all along are those 'friends' you've talked to? What if you and Kairi are the only ones who know my true nature?" It was his last ploy, a desperate attempt to throw them off his trail.

"I don't believe you. How long will you keep acting like this?" Riku wanted his friend back. Not this…hideous creation before him.

"Fortunately for you, not long." Sora pulled out a letter from his pocket and held it up. Riku snatched it away and read it. It was an acceptance letter to Twilight Town University.

"What's in Twilight Town?"

"My cousin Roxas," he answered simply, although the real question was, "What isn't in Twilight Town?" Answer: Riku and Kairi.

"So that's it? Act like a bitch for all of high school and run away?" Riku summarized.

"When you put it like that...aren't you glad your not friends with me anymore?" the boy joked.

"Fuck you."

"Elegant response, if you have nothing else to say—" Sora fell back against the rail, having been decked in the face.

It hurt, a lot.

Sora fell against the rooftop mesh and laughed. He rubbed his cheek, wincing in pain. "Ah, since you can longer fight for me, you can just fight me instead!" Sora didn't let up at all. He would continue to play for as long as he had to.

"Riku!" It was Kairi. She ran from the rooftop entrance and crouched before the brunet. "What are you doing?"

"Forget this jerk, he's not worth it." Riku clenched his fists and turned his back to them. "Congratulations Sora. You've done it. I don't give a shit about you anymore. I'm over it. You win."

"Riku…" Kairi called softly. Her boyfriend disappeared from the roof. She looked back at Sora, whose face was beginning to swell. "Are you okay?"

"Don't you have a boyfriend to look after?" he shot back.

She recoiled slightly. "Why...why are you freezing us out?"

He avoided her gaze.

"Riku may have given up on you, but I won't. I know the old Sora is still there." She held his head and turned it so that they would look at each other. His eyes wouldn't cooperate though. "I won't give up on you Sora, no matter how long it takes."

He laughed in giddy fashion. "Good luck with that." He pulled her hands off him and got up. "Don't talk to me anymore."

You lie long enough and it becomes the truth.

Despite her attempts to connect with him, it was always the same. Though he could hide from Riku in his AP classes, Kairi was also there with him. He did everything to keep her away. He ignored her, sat in front to discourage her from talking, and sacrificed the image he built from his outgoing days. He no longer discriminated and acted like an asshole to everyone. He was even starting to lose his "new" friends. He became an apparition, an illusion, and then, nothing at all.

Kairi was right though. The old Sora was still in there, somewhere, beneath the darkness, crying out for freedom.

The last few months of senior year were nothing but darkness. He had alienated everybody who had cared about him.

He gave Riku a call.

"Sora? What is it?" Riku's voice sounded tired.

"Can we meet? Just you though. If I see Kairi, I won't show up at all."

"What?"

"At the secret place." Sora hung up, without waiting for confirmation.

That night, he rowed his way to the secret place and waited. It was a full moon, and the moonlight filtered through the rock ceiling. A shadow was coming in from the entrance. It was Riku.

"Sora." It wasn't a greeting. It was just a statement of fact.

"I'm sorry," Sora apologized.

Riku's face scrunched in anger. "What?"

"I'm sorry," the brunet repeated.

Riku wasn't sure if this was just another game from Sora. He was tired of playing. All he wanted was the truth. "It's too late for apologies, you've hurt us, you've hurt Kairi!" His accusations reverberated, bounced off the stone surfaces, each echo a pang in Sora's heart.

He finally let his mask fall. The haughtiness, the self-satisfied smirk, the ever evasive wittiness, the mock hatred, all of it, melted off his face, revealing nothing but a sad smile. He threw everything away and for what? "I know...I know that you can't forgive me, but I want you to understand my reasoning. But first, you have to promise not to tell Kairi." He gave Riku a hard glare that held no room for negotiation.

Riku knew not to tread lightly. Despite his apologies, Sora was still unpredictable. "I promise."

"As you know, the graduation ceremony is tomorrow. I won't be there."

"Wai—"

"Let me finish," he warned. "I'm flying to Twilight Town tonight. This is my goodbye to you."

"But…why?" He was leaving tonight? Things were moving too fast! How could Sora call him out of the blue just to say he was going to leave?

"Because you were right Riku." Sora took in a deep breath and exhaled. He looked up at the moon through the small opening in the ceiling. "I am still fucking in love with Kairi."

"Sora—"

"Are you going to let me finish?" Riku grimaced. Sora had finally confessed what he held in for so long. It wasn't a confession under ideal circumstances; it was just an excuse for his horrid behavior now. "I can't be around you guys. Its killing me so I...I'm leaving. That way, I can get over her. Do you understand? I'm leaving so that...you guys can be happy together. The sooner you forget about me, the better."

"Are you really going to do this?" He knew the answer, just from the way Sora carried himself.

"I have to. For my own sanity's sake. You love her don't you? Take care of her and make her happy for me." That was all he wanted to say. Everybody else might hate him, but at least Riku would know the truth. Sora began moving towards the cave entrance. He was done here.

"You make yourself sound so noble. Aren't you just running away?" Riku yelled after him.

"All my life, you guys have looked out for me. I'm just returning the favor."

"You're an idiot you know that? Do you really think I'll just let you go like this?"

Sora stopped by the entrance. He didn't bother to turn around. "I didn't have to tell you this Riku. I could've just disappeared and not said anything. The only reason I'm talking to you right now is because of the same reason that you've guys have always looked after me."

"And what reason is that?" he managed to choke out.

"Obligation. Goodbye Riku. I won't be seeing you for a while; hopefully the next time we meet, we'll both be smiling."

Sora left.

Riku wanted to chase after him, but he didn't.

After Sora rowed back from the secret place, he went home to finish packing his bags. His mother asked him if he was sure he wanted to go. He had already gone this far, there was no turning back. The taxi cab was waiting outside and he put everything in the trunk.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sora?" his mother asked one more time.

"For the last time mom, yes," he answered exasperated.

She smiled back and hugged him. "You'll always be welcome back here. This is your home, never forget that."

"I won't. Goodbye mom, and if anyone asks where I am, just say I'm on vacation!"

"Goodbye son."

The taxi drove through the streets undercover of the night. It would be the last time he saw the island. There were a lot of good memories here…and a lot of bad ones too. He needed a fresh start. Even if it was his home, the environment was far too toxic for him now. It was own fault, but home was no longer hospitable. It was time to move on, to greener pastures, and to forget it all.

"_Flight 10 to Twilight Town boarding in 15 minutes_."

Sora looked up at the display and back at his ticket. Just 15 more minutes before everything was done. He was noticeably agitated. He could still come back home and forget this ever happened. Unknown to Riku, he had two letter of acceptances, one to Twilight Town and another to Destiny Islands University. He could just make up with Riku and Kairi and apologize. They would understand, right? But the thought of Kairi twisted his heart.

No, he couldn't return. It was impossible. He had to go. There was nothing left for him here.

It was a midnight flight, but the airport was still very busy. Since the graduation ceremony was tomorrow, relatives were probably flying in to support their graduating family. Destiny High graduations were always a big deal, plus, it was an excuse to vacation at Destiny Islands.

He opened his phone and saw more than fifty unread messages. Everybody was probably wondering where he was. He turned it off and disassembled the casing, taking out the SIM card and battery, and finally threw it in a garbage bin. He already deleted his old e-mail and Instant Messaging accounts. He wanted to start fresh, and that meant destroying everything that tethered him home.

"_Sora!_" Even now, her voice haunted him. Will he ever be able to let her go? "Sora!" That wasn't…his imagination was it? He turned around to see Kairi running after him.

No.

She couldn't be here! Did Riku break his promise? That bastard.

Sora collected his luggage and began moving quickly towards Gate 10 for his flight. It wasn't fair. He had to lug around his carry-on while Kairi could run unencumbered. Come on security, shouldn't you be stopping her? Running wasn't supposed to be allowed at airports!

She finally caught up to him, grabbing the back of his shirt, twisting the material in her hand, and keeping him in place. If there was one person that could keep him from leaving, it was her.

"Sora, don't leave," she pleaded.

He knew that if he saw her face, he would lose the nerve to get on the plane, so he looked at his feet, and closed his eyes. "Come on Kairi, I'm just going to a new school. This isn't goodbye. You'll hear from me," he offered, like a mother soothing her newborn.

"Don't leave."

"I have to. I'll keep in touch. It'll only be four years," he lied.

"Stay. We can just forget about everything. All I want…is the old Sora back." He could hear sniffling and sobs behind him. He was sure tears were running down her cheeks as well.

"It'll be fine Kairi. I won't leave you alone. You have Riku remember? I just need a break, from everything. Can you let me go now?"

"Promise me then. Promise that you'll call me, that you'll e-mail me, that you'll text me everyday. Promise me Sora!"

"I promise."

It was his last words to her.

And they were a complete and utter lie.

He felt something wet on his hands and quickly realized that water drops splashed against the map he was holding. He blinked off tears that leaked out against his will, wiped his eyes, and chuckled nervously, the weight of emotion distorting his laughter. What the hell was he getting sad for? That was in another time and in another place, not now. Great, his tears made a mess of the map. He was in the Student Council room, reviewing the floor plans for an upcoming homecoming. Forget about that past. It wasn't real, and if it was, it was just a premonition, a premonition he was changing right now.

"Sora? Are you okay?"

He almost fell off his chair at the sound of Kairi's voice. Where did she come from?

"Are you…crying?"

"What? No! I just yawned. My eyes get really glassy when I do that," he lamely excused.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She looked worried.

"I'm fine. It's just real boring in here by myself; I don't know how you could do it. Anyways, why are you here? Is the game over already?"

She nodded back. "It ended an hour ago."

"It did?" Time flies when you're thinking about horrible futures.

"Yeah, which is why I'm surprised to see you still here. I thought you would've left a long time ago."

"Thanks for the heads up, I think its time for me to leave."

"Okay, I'll tidy up things here and lock the room." Kairi made a move for the documents but Sora shoved the tear-stained papers away.

"I'll handle it; you can just wait outside prez." He left no room for discussion as he pushed her out of the room and closed the door. A few minutes later, he emerged. "Alright, let's go home!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the school. The sooner he got out of there, the better. Memory was beginning to sour him. When they were clear of the school grounds, he let go. He turned around to check on her, but she held her head low. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," she said hastily. "Ahem, anyway, why are you in such a rush? Did something happen in there?"

"No, nothing happened. Just reliving some rather unpleasant memories. Anyways, how did the game turn out?" he asked, changing the subject.

"We won."

"Yaay," he said with mock enthusiasm. The result was never in question. "Was that it?"

"Well, something unexpected did happen." His heart sped up by a few notches. He was already nervous. It all came down to this answer. "After the game, Riku actually came up to me and asked me something surprising."

"Was it something awkward?"

She smiled, remembering their earlier conversations. "I guess you could say that. He asked me out to homecoming."

"Is that so?" he answered disinterestedly. His fingernails were digging deep into his palms. So what was your answer? "What did you say?"

"Aren't you interested?" she teased. Damn it Kairi! You cannot torture me over this! I've waited too long for this! He kept his mouth shut, trying his best to keep any trace of curiosity from leaking out. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Not really. I don't care." Yeah right.

"Aw, you're no fun. I'm feeling generous today though, so I'll tell you what I said."

"Which is…?"

"No."

"No?"

"Yup, no."

"Wait, did you say 'yup' or 'no?'" he asked, confused.

"No, you dummy!" she giggled. "I told him that I'd be too busy trying to run the homecoming dance." He let out a massive mental sigh of relief. Of course he knew she would say no!

"He must've been crushed."

Kairi shook her head. "I don't think he was crushed, but he did seem a little disappointed."

"I can imagine." Heck, he didn't have to imagine, he remembered it.

"What about you Sora? Are you going to homecoming with anybody?"

"Who's the curious one now?" he laughed.

"I'm just extending the courtesy," she shot back.

"I'm the VP too. I'm also going to be running the show, and everybody knows, it's the VP that does all the real work," he joked.

Kairi laughed. "I guess the two of us are gonna be dateless for that night huh?"

"I guess so," he said, smiling.

His gambit paid off.

Not that he was worried or anything.


	11. Falling Curtains

**Chapter 11  
**

Sora's eyes were glazed.

It was hard to pay attention to anything ever since he acquired the biggest victory of his life. He did it. He changed things. Obviously, he and Kairi weren't in a loving embrace right now, prematurely reciting their vows to each other, but it was a start. Riku, the biggest obstacle to Kairi's heart, was now out of the picture. The white-haired boy had a put a damper on things in the past, but no longer will he snuff out the special spark needed to light a fire in Kairi's heart.

And homecoming was the perfect tinder.

Sora looked down at a reprinted copy of the ballroom floor plans. The other ones were ruined, so they took a small trip down the paper shredder and any evidence of the future-past disappeared along with it. It was a new beginning and he could now finally live life the way he wanted to.

It was a long journey, but he made it.

"You're awfully obsessed with those floor plans." Sora looked up to see Kairi grinning at him. "Mind if I take a look at those?" she asked.

"Be my guest," he said, offering her the papers. They were the only ones in the Student Council room. All the jobs had been laid out, all the positions appointed, and all the tasks were assigned. The only thing left was for the actual event to happen. They still hung around at school for some last minute review. It was just a formality. Barring an unexpected meteor strike, homecoming was going to happen tomorrow.

Despite his experience, he was exhausted. Putting together the whole shindig was a journey in itself. It was nothing like his other projects, not like the girl's blitzball team. It was because he had a goal this time that he clearly wanted to achieve. There were still a few obstacles in the way. He and Kairi weren't going to homecoming together, but as co-workers. He had to make sure that by the night's end, they would be something more than co-workers or best friends, but as lovers.

He could already imagine it. Kairi would be tired from overseeing the dance but he would come in and take charge. After the event winded down, he would see how she was feeling and ask for a dance. As they twirled around the floor, she would lean her head against him and close her eyes. Then she'd confess what she'd be holding in this entire time:

"Sora, are you listening to me?"

Sora snapped back to reality and saw Kairi holding the floor plans back at him. "Uh…no?"

She giggled. "You can have these back now." She glanced around the room and sighed. "I think everything's done here! The only thing left is to make sure everybody does their job tomorrow. It should be fun!"

Sora leaned on his chair and smiled. "You excited?"

"Tomorrow can't come soon enough!"

He loved seeing her vibrate with so much energy. Her enthusiasm was starting to rub off on him. "Did you pick out a dress?" he asked casually.

"A dress? Why would I need a dress?" she laughed. "I have to run the dance, remember?"

"Um, that doesn't exactly preclude you from standard decorum," he informed. Did she think she was above the dress code?

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you were seriously planning on wearing your uniform to the dance?" he asked incredulously.

"Nothing wrong with this," she disputed, pointing to her outfit. She really did look nice in it but…

"You make it look good, but not _that_good. Even wedding planners dress up for the weddings they plan. It's common decency."

Everything he said made perfect sense. There really was no getting around it.

"Crap, I'm gonna have to pick up a dress don't I?"

Sora gave a wide grin. "I know just the place."

They wound up where everything started, Fairy Godmother's Bridal. Sora treaded carefully, wondering if wormholes would unexpectedly pop up at any moment. Kairi was a bit bewildered by his behavior, but he had been acting weird ever since the car accident. She just chalked it up to post-accident jitters. They made it to the shop unscathed.

Kairi stood before the pane glass, admiring a shining white gossamer wedding dress. He saw this before. The image of an adult Kairi overlapped her, and he rubbed his eyes. "Let's head on in," he urged, trying to dispel the illusion.

She nodded back and followed him to the entrance.

The door opened with a ringing bell and a voice greeted them immediately.

"Kairi!" Ms. Fairy called out. "I was wondering when you would come. How can I help you dear?" Ms. Fairy looked the same as ever. Sora wondered if, after a certain age, you just adopt an eternally old appearance that doesn't change whether you're 60 or 80. She floated to the front of the shop in her purple robes. "I hear there is a little dance coming up, thanks to a Student Council president," she teased.

"It's nothing," Kairi said humbly.

Ms. Fairy smiled softly. "So how can I help you?"

"I just need something to," the redhead looked at Sora, "match decorum."

"Something nice I presume?" Ms. Fairy asked for further clarification.

"And loose around the legs, I'm probably going to be doing a lot of running," Kairi added.

Sora agreed whole-heartedly, anything that showed off her legs would be great.

"Elegant and simple then?" Ms. Fairy went towards the side and roamed over some racks and shelves. Sora and Kairi waited patiently for her to find something that would fit their needs. It took but a few moments before Ms. Fairy emerged from the piles of fabric with a plain dress that met the specifications. "Try this on."

Kairi grabbed the cloth and disappeared in the locker room.

Sora's eyes watched over a clock that hung on the wall. The second hand slowly ticked its way around the hash marks. It wasn't a smooth motion; it was the kind that would stutter after each second, with a quick stop and go. Time was slow. How long did it take to put on a dress?

"She's beautiful isn't she?" the old lady said out of the blue.

His first instinct was to feign ignorance. "Huh?"

"Kairi. You're quite lucky to be taking her out," she congratulated.

"Oh no, we're not going together or anything," he excused.

"That's not what your face says," she teased. "Look at this great grin you have! You're adorable!" The heat was rose to his cheeks. She was right though, he had been smiling ever since they got here.

The sound of the dressing room door caught their attention. Kairi stepped out and did a small twirl. "So how do I look?"

As great as Kairi looked (as always), Sora felt she could look even better, if that was even possible.

He stroked his chin and shook his head disapprovingly. "Come on Kairi, wasn't it you who said we should go all out? Ms. Fairy, you think you could pull something less...conservative?"

"I think I have something to suit your taste, Sora." This time, Ms. Fairy disappeared in the back.

"Your taste?" Kairi repeated.

Sora looked back and shrugged.

Ms. Fairy finally returned and showed off a dress they had never seen before. "How is this?"

Who knew that in a shop innocuously named Fairy Godmother's Bridal would there be a dress as contemporary as the one Ms. Fairy was holding up? It was a pink halter short dress with a single black lace shoulder strap. The star-patterned black lace and tulle skirt provided an appreciable amount of formality, though the cocktail length and low neckline also spiced things up.

He really wanted to see how Kairi would look in it.

"Try it on," he suggested.

She looked hesitant but gave in. "Only because you asked." Once she came out, Sora clapped and whistled, much to her embarrassment.

"You look great!" He truly meant it. While he admired the amount of skin it showed off, it was just very emblematic of her personality. She was breezy, sassy, hard working, and classy. Most importantly, she was beautiful.

She struck a pose. "Do you mean it?"

"I love it," he admitted.

His compliment made her really happy.

"It's a wrap," Kairi told Ms. Fairy.

"Excellent!" The shop owner turned to Sora. "What about you dear? I also have tuxedos."

He looked down at his arm, still encased in hard plastic. "You got anything that can accommodate a cast?"

They finally acquired the necessary trimmings for tomorrow's event. They walked out with plastic sheets, velvet fabric, and metal coat hangers. They were laughing and joking about each other's outfits. As Sora stepped outside the store, he stopped to stare at the road.

"Is something wrong?" Kairi asked.

He looked over the road carefully, remembering the fateful event that sent him hurling back in time. The asphalt was blacker and little cleaner now. He strained his ears for any bike bells, but was happy to see that nothing could ruin this moment.

"No, it's just my imagination." As long as he didn't walk on the road, he was fine. Unless a drunk driver came careening into the sidewalk—lets not jinx it. "Let's just hurry up and get outta here."

He wasn't about to tempt fate again.

Homecoming.

It was when everything had changed. It was where Riku sealed the deal. This time, Sora would be the one doing the sealing, hopefully with his lips. Before he could daydream about the night, he had to make sure everything was in order first. The day had arrived, and he was inspecting the ballroom to make sure that every detail was just right.

When it came to decor, he enlisted his mother's services. The best part? She did it free of charge, which pleased Kairi very much. He explored the interior of the ballroom and observed the floral arrangements that lined the walls and wood pillars. They accentuated the flowing nature of the architecture and gave off a wonderful fresh scent. With just a few well-placed flowers, the already beautiful ballroom was transformed into a majestic one. Drapes swam on the walls like ocean waves and the high ceilings glittered with shining stars. The Student Council really outdid themselves when it came to the decorations.

He walked over the gleaming floors and towards the window. He looked outside and saw the beach swarming with visitors and tourists. It was only hours before the hall would open and the main event would start.

"It really is a beautiful view," Kairi commented, coming in close and standing beside him. "How did you know about this place?"

"I help my mom out sometimes. The hotel is a repeat customer, they love her work," he explained. He noticed she was still in her uniform. "I see you're not dressed yet."

"You too," she shot back.

"It's not game time yet," he excused. "And it only takes me ten minutes max, to get dressed. I mean the cast is a bit annoying, but compared to you, lets just say girls take forever."

"When have you ever seen me as the kind of girl who wears dresses?" she chuckled. "I'd like to remain functional for at least another hour. I can already foresee sore feet tomorrow."

"A deadly premonition," he joked. Certainly not as his deadly as his though. "The things girls do just to look nice."

"You're lucky to be a boy," she laughed.

They bantered for a while longer before they went their separate ways.

He walked around the floor and made sure that people were in the appropriate places. Pence was stationed at the photo booth, ready to take pictures, and Hayner was tasting the food to make sure that none of it "was poisoned." It was just the waiting game now.

Security?

Check.

Food?

Check.

Lights?

Check.

Tuxedo?

Check.

Sora observed himself in the mirror and smiled. His mind flashed back to the photo Kairi showed him, the image of the last time he truly smiled. These days, it was rare when he wasn't smiling. He ran his hand through his hair, causing his brunet spikes to bounce softly. He looked down at his cast, reading the words Riku's had written months ago.

_When are you going to ask her out? –Your pal Riku._

His answer?

Tonight.

Tonight was the night! He exited the bathroom and peeked around. The sun was setting far off in the distance, casting the ocean into a glittering frenzy of orange and yellow. The grand hall was dimming by the minute. It was almost time for the gates to open. He made his way to the entrance, where Kairi stood nervously.

"You look beautiful," he said as he approached her. She had switched into her dress, which fit her perfectly.

"Sora." She stopped to look over his threads. "You're handsome as well." She turned back to the entrance. "Take a look at all these people!"

He peered over her head and saw a huge crowd outside. It coursed with excitement and anticipation, almost as if a riot would break out soon. "Looks like we did a great job with the marketing. I don't think the council's seen a turnout like this in years," he commented.

"Didn't you handle all the marketing?" she asked.

"It was a team effort."

"Modest aren't you?" she laughed back.

"I think its time to open the doors."

So he did.

The crowd almost engulfed him. It was a whirlwind of bodies rushing past him. The crowd dispersed, fanned out, and reached all corners of the room. The bright lights dimmed to cultivate the intimate atmosphere that was a requirement at events such as these. The sound system blared to life, wringing out slick sounds and music. The DJ was a pro and read the crowd well. He applied the right beats at the right moments, ensuring that music would be at the bottom of list titled "complaints."

Kairi flit to and fro like a hummingbird with a clipboard in hand, making sure that her first act as president would make an impression on the student body. It was rare that a girl could work hard and look good while doing it. Sora followed her around with his eyes and checked the time on his phone. It had only been twenty minutes since opening but it felt like an eternity. He was still waiting for that moment when she would just relax and take a break.

His mind operated on two planes.

On one hand, he had to deal with event preparation. They were trying to clear a space for the announcement of homecoming king and queen. He didn't handle the voting aspect, so he had no clue who won. They tallied the votes and he heard that it was a close call between Tidus and Riku for king. Their blitzball heroics single-handedly revived Destiny High's hopes for another championship, so it was no surprise they were on top of the short list.

The other part of his mind kept imagining how he would play the situation with Kairi. Though he had a vague idea, an amorphous shape of the entire encounter in his head, he couldn't pin down the exact words he was going to say. He was probably going to play it by ear, go with the flow, and tell her straight from the heart what he'd always wanted to say.

Couldn't time just speed up already?

"Hey Sora!" a voice called, it was Demyx. He was the go-to man when it came to MC and announcer jobs in the past, so he was enlisted for homecoming. Why mess with tradition? "Things are going to start soon!"

"Is your mic ready?" the VP asked back.

The blond nodded back and pulled up the mic. "We're ready for show time!" he grinned.

Sora went to the necessary technicians and told them to start the lights and get the ball rolling.

Demyx erupted on to the stage with his offbeat style of speech and pulled every eye in the room on him. He basked in the attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Homecomiinnngggg! This is the main event, what you've all been waiting for, the unveiling of the homecoming king and queen! But before that, we have a special message from the lady who put this entire event together. Give it up for your temporary Student Council president, Kairiiii!"

Sora watched from the side, smiling at Demyx's exaggerated introductions.

"Sora!" a voice greeted. It was Riku. "I see you're here, even with the arm," he observed.

"I still gotta take care of business," Sora replied, smiling back. "Who are you here with?"

"I'm staggin' it. It's working out pretty well for me actually. How about you? Make your move yet?" Riku turned to Kairi onstage, who was spilling out her heartfelt thanks to the student body.

"I'm still waiting for the right moment."

Riku laughed. "The only right moment is now." He looked at Sora, who was beaming at Kairi's presence onstage. "You knew, didn't you?"

Sora snapped to his friend. "Knew what?"

"That she'd say no to me after the homecoming game," he laughed. "You won."

"It's not a game," Sora rebutted.

"Even if its not, I still feel like I lost."

Sora gave him an odd gaze.

"I know she'll be happy with you," Riku offered, "congratulations."

It was weird being on the receiving end of the congratulations, especially when he hadn't even gotten the girl yet. Sora felt sorry for his friend, but Riku would be able to handle it. He had natural talent and good looks, and it was only a matter of time before another girl would throw herself at him. Riku would be fine.

Sora was thrown out of his revelry when the spotlight hit him. He squinted and wondered what was going on.

"I'd like to thank the Vice President, Sora Hikari, the true mastermind behind the entire event. It is all thanks to him that we could hold this dance in this beautiful ballroom tonight."

The crowd erupted in applause, an almost deafening roar of rolling thunder crackling all around him. It was the girl's blitzball team all over again.

"Do you have anything to say Sora?" Kairi asked on the mic.

Sora shook his head.

"Look how he humble he is! Another round of applause."

Sora smiled tiredly and decided to bask in their adoration, raising his hands in triumph.

"Alright, I'm going to hand the mic back to Demyx so that you can find out who this year's homecoming king and queen are!" The crowd whooped and cheered as Kairi got down from the stage and made a beeline to the Vice President. "So, how did you like my speech?" she asked him.

"At least you knew where all credit is due," he joked back.

She punched him in the arm. "Funny guy."

"Need I remind you about—"

"I know, I know, violence, violence. I didn't even hit you that hard, it wouldn't such a problem if you weren't so weak!" she ridiculed.

"I'm the one with his arm in a cast," he stated.

"I'm gonna go check on the king and queen. Relax and enjoy the show."

"That's my line," he shot back.

She smiled in return.

Things had been turning out wonderful. He could feel the tension in the air. He looked around at the students. They all seemed to be very excited and on edge. How many of them were planning on this night being the night where everything would change? How many schemes, plans, and hopes hinged on this event? How many crushes, infatuations, and loves would spring to life tonight? Or die by tonight? This was what school was about: learning, success, failure, hard lessons, living life, making mistakes, and learning from them, to grow from our experiences, and to make unique memories that we can fall back on for the rest of our lives.

He walked towards the catering table and poured himself a cup of fruit punch. He sure hoped it wasn't spiked. He downed it and tasted nothing but fruity deliciousness. Excellent.

"_As for your new homecoming king and queen, I'd like all of you to give a big round of applause for Tidus and Selphie_!"

The crowd went into another fit of cacophony. The sound of pounding footsteps, clapping hands, and jingling plates formed a surreal symphony of delight. The students were really into it.

"_Now let's get dancing!" _

A circle widened around the homecoming king and queen as they danced, with admiring gazes surrounding them. After the initial slow dance was over, the DJ kicked things into high gear and went to town on the turntable. The air was charged with excitement and gaiety. As far as the itinerary went, there was nothing left but music and dancing. Kairi should be done by now.

He searched around the room, looking past dancers, couples, and well-dressed teenagers for any sign of the prez. He dove into the mess, into writhing scores of booty shakers and human robots. The dim lighting, loud noises, and throngs of moving bodies didn't make conditions ideal for searching.

After a lot of hollering, cases of mistaken identity, and apologies, he finally spotted her by the window. She was alone, nursing a cup of fruit punch.

Perfect.

This was it.

Those ten years of imagined misery shall be banished forever, sent to the same pitiful dark void that almost engulfed him so long ago.

Goodbye misery.

And hello happiness.

He stalked his way over, shifting his body sideways to get close to the girl, and sidestepped his away around human obstacles. The closer he got, the denser the crowd became. It was almost as if fate was trying to slow him down.

Screw you fate!

He wasn't going to sit back and get owned again. Not this time. He struggled, as if disentangling himself from sticky tar, trying to tear himself away from tough webbing.

Almost there.

So close.

"Urk!"

He felt a hand clasp his shoulder and pull him backwards. The small opening to Kairi closed like the Red Sea after Moses was finished. The pull was awfully strong, and he felt himself fly backwards. The hand let go, causing him to fall on his back. Who dared to get in his way? Was it Riku? He stood up and turned around to let out a storm of cusses but was shocked to see the person in front of him.

"Naminé? What are you—"

"I look beautiful, I know," she smirked. She really did, she looked almost…angelic. He didn't know if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if she was actually glowing. She wore a simple white dress that seemed to float on her. She wasn't wearing her glasses, allowing her face to radiate a purity that was so bright, it was blinding.

"Who are you here with?" he asked quickly. He had to get her off his case. He was on a mission here, and he couldn't afford distractions.

"What kind of question is that? I'm with you silly." He could never figure Naminé out. She was too weird.

"I never asked you—"

"That doesn't matter," she interrupted. She held on to his arm and began leading the way, "Since you're here, I'm here. Now we just need to find a nice and quiet place."

He tried to pry her hand off but it was an extremely strong grip. Her delicate appearance betrayed enormous strength. How was he getting manhandled by a girl a head shorter than him? Despite his best attempts, he had no choice but to be pulled around like a sack of potatoes around the dance floor. She led him through the crowd, swerving, making sudden twists and turns, disorienting him. Even though he memorized the floor plans, he got lost quickly. The sights, sounds, and smells assaulted him mercilessly.

He closed his eyes, feeling the air currents rush over him until Naminé finally stopped. He opened them to find that they were in…the janitor's closet?

Shelves upon shelves of linen surrounded them. The lemon scent of detergent filled his nostrils. Only one light was on, and it cast an eerie glow on the blonde holding him down.

"What are we doing in here?" he asked loudly.

Naminé gripped his shoulders, keeping him in place against the wall. He couldn't even move. "Nothing you would expect. Sora. I know what you're thinking," she stated, smiling.

"That what, we're going to kiss?" he joked.

"Wouldn't you like to?" she teased, putting her face exceptionally close to him. What was going on? He didn't like Naminé! He was supposed to be with Kairi.

"Let me go Naminé. I don't like you okay?"

She cackled gleefully. "Who said I liked you? I know what you're thinking Sora," she repeated. "But I can't let you do it."

"What are you talking about?" he yelled back.

Anger captured her face, distorting her heavenly features into a hellish expression. "I'm talking about everything of course! I'm talking about Kairi!" she screamed.

Sora could only stare at the sudden shift in personality. "What do you know about her?"

She turned back into an angel. "Everything. As much as you do in fact, and I know that if you approach Kairi tonight, you will never be able to come back." Her eyes were hard and left no room for debate.

"Come back to what?" he prodded.

A devilish grin painted itself on her face. "What? Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet? Are you that dense or are you just willfully blind?" she accused.

He had no idea what she was talking about. What was he missing here? "Tell me."

"This isn't real."

The moment the words left her mouth, the room began to spin. The linen sheets were swirling around like the inside of a washing machine. I—

I...

I?

I finally...

I finally recognized myself.

I looked around, seeing the world stare back at me. Naminé's eyes bore into me, acknowledging an unspoken suspicion that skimmed on the surface of consciousness. My heart sped up by few notches and adrenaline started flowing through my body, numbing my fingers. A dull pitch began to ring in my ear drums.

"None of this is," she added, her voice echoing. "Can't you see the signs? Why do you think that I was the only one in the Student Council? Why do you think the room was always empty before you came along? Why is your arm always broken? Why does everything seem to work out just fine for you?" The questions flew at me like a barrage, and I was helpless to deflect it.

"It's because I know everything that's going to happen before it does," I screamed desperately. Obviously, because if I already knew what was going to happen, then it meant that I change things for the better!

"No, because it's your imagination Sora. You're creating everything as it goes along. You're just too blind to notice. Why did you take that gamble? Why did you let Riku ask her out again?" she threw at me.

"Because I had to see if I had really changed, changed enough for Kairi to notice!"

"Wrong! It's because you already knew the result. There was no way she was ever going to go out with Riku because you made her reject him! Can't you see what's happening? Or are you too obsessed with her? With you, it's Kairi this, Kairi that, everything you do revolves around her!" she spat out. She was right. Everything did revolve around her, but so what? She was my path to happiness!

"That's because she's everything to me! Isn't that obvious?" I yelled out.

Her grip was firm. It was the only thing holding me up.

"Look at you." She looked disgusted. "The you now is worst than the previous you. What happened to all those friends you made? You've totally ignored them this time around. Yuffie will never get to play blitzball. Olette would never break out as a writer. All those people that you've helped—you've abandoned them, all because you're running away, again."

"The only reason I became their friends was because I abandoned Riku and Kairi! I'm not abandoning them this time!" I pleaded desperately. Couldn't she see that I was trying my best here?

"What do you think will happen after you get her? After you confess your love and capture her lips? Happily ever after?"

"That's the plan!"

She looked at me with a sorrowful gaze. Something didn't add up.

"Why is it you then? Why you Naminé?"

"Who knows? Maybe because you never knew me in high school. Maybe because I'm the last person you saw from Destiny High. But you put me here for one reason Sora, and that is to bring you back."

"Back to what? A life where nothing is gained? A life where the last ten years of my life are wasted?"

"It's not a waste Sora. Think of the people you've helped, think of the books you've written, think of the person you are now!" she ordered.

"No! I can't go back to that!" I finally summoned the strength to push her off me and I bolted for the doorway.

"Don't go to her Sora! If you do, it'll be too late!" Her voice disappeared behind me.

I ran through the hall, trying to find my way back to the ballroom. The hallway looked the same everywhere. Doors upon doors stretched the infinity. I couldn't find it!

I ran through the hall, searching for a familiar door, anything! I went from to door to door, jostling the knobs for any give. I found a set of double doors and burst through. I stood before a set of stairs.

I decided to run up, run as fast as I could, far away from Naminé, far away from her paranoid delusions. The stairs were nothing but a blur until I found myself breathing fresh air on the rooftop of the Galbadia. I rushed to the edge and looked down, the vertigo restoring my sense of balance. I leaned back and fell, my eyes settling on the night sky.

It was a starry night.

I always had a sneaking suspicion that everything wasn't real but I just didn't want to believe it. Could this all be just a dream? No, this was real goddamnit! I slammed my hand against the rooftop, the sting of pain throbbing against my palm. This pain was real. It had to be. I clenched my eyes shut and probed beneath my eyelids for the truth. Was I really ignoring the signs? Had my obsession with Kairi blinded me to the real truth? Did I not make sure that everything was perfect?

Where was the truth?

Where?

…

_"That's quite alright. We must all recognize that we have to return to the real world one day."_

…

But this _was_the real world. I had returned to it. The old world was the fake one. How could I have pined for the same girl for ten entire years? That was the lie, the fiction! In those ten years, wouldn't I have gotten over her? Why would I still be in love with her? It was just a set up to a bad story. What would happen next? He goes to the wedding, confesses his love, and they run off together towards the sunset? Happily ever after? No, that was the fake world. This was way more real than that nonsense!

…

_"Sometimes, it's no use fixin' up an old bird. You gotta let go, and throw it in the scrap heap."_

…

That was right. My old reality was beyond fixing, that was why I had to discard it. I'm here now. Unless…I'm trying to fix things now…was this world my attempt to fix things? Am I supposed to throw all of this away into the scrap heap?

…

_Everything was meticulously recreated in perfect detail, at least as perfectly as his unreliable memory could reproduce._

…

It was always about the details: the small things. It was one of the reasons my books did so well. I was very good at creating my worlds. Could I have done the same for this…? Was this why everything was so perfect? Time flowed normally, day and night came like expected, everybody acted just as they did…was it because my mind wanted everything to be as realistic as possible?

…

_The flashbacks were becoming more frequent whenever he tried to go to sleep. His dreams weren't really dreams; they were more like memories._

…

Every time I went to sleep…it was always a memory from that past. Was it because…I'm already dreaming?

…

_"Silly. Didn't I tell you? The moment you joined the council, I was no longer needed."_

…

I never knew Naminé. I didn't know her personality, how she acted, or how she would react. Was that why…no. It couldn't just be my imagination, was it?

…

_"There have been a variety of cases where men who have been in a coma for as many as fifteen years wake up, feeling as if they just took a nap. Similarly, there have been cases where patients who were gone for only a few minutes report that they've experienced entire lifetimes. It seems that yours is the latter case."_

…

Could I be in a hospital bed right now? Could Kairi and Riku be outside, marrying why I lay unconscious, oblivious to everything?

…

_"No, because it's your imagination Sora. You're creating everything as it goes along."_

…

Is my subconscious really crafting every detail, every plot point, and every major scene in this story?

…

_In order to write a story, you have to lose a bit of sanity._

_Sora knew this._

_But he did it anyways._

_What else could he do?_

…

…

…

I couldn't stop myself laughing.

This entire time…I've been writing this story, the perfect story for me. This was my path to redemption, to correct everything that was wrong with my life. This was my attempt to fix things, the things in my life that had fallen apart in reality. With an imagination, I could trick myself for as long as I wanted. I'm an author. It was my job to create stories, characters, settings, and entire worlds.

This reality was…fake. I created it, all to satisfy my hopes and dreams that would never come true.

But so what?

Why go back to the real world? Here, I had a chance to be happy, an endless bliss with Kairi, the life that I've always wanted. Why should I give up on this mental paradise when the real world was harsh, unrelenting, and unforgiving? Why would I want to return to that?

What if…Naminé was the lie? What if she was the figment of my imagination? A product of massive delusions? For all I know, my mind was toying with me!

No…

My subconscious knew the truth. Everything that had happened so far had been too perfect. Every event I created, I made from memory.

Kairi…

Mom…

Riku…

Axel…

Yuffie…

Ansem…

…and Naminé.

Things were real, but they weren't.

I was just using the future to reconstruct my past.

I pulled myself to my feet and grasped the railing. I watched the night ocean waves curl underneath the moonlight. The sea rippled and dappled with light, a glowing and ethereal fire works show on the water's surface. I've never seen something so beautiful before…like an image out of my own mind.

I've created this world.

I've written this story.

I've made this…paradox.

…

_"What would you do if you were stuck on these stairs?" she pondered._

…

_"Maybe, but when you're desperate, what else are you going to do? Sometimes the only thing you can do is…jump."_

…

Was that the only way out of here?

To jump?

Was that the real answer?

To make that leap of faith and miraculously return to the real world?

I looked down at the edge of the hotel. The wind blew fiercely against my face, my spikes dancing wildly in the wind. I was scared. Why wouldn't I be? I still had doubts. If this world was real, wouldn't I be killing myself? I gripped the railing tighter, the sweat greasing my palms.

Here I was, standing on top of the Galbadia Hotel. This probably wasn't the greatest idea I've had in awhile, but it seemed like the only option. Was this how people felt before they go and off themselves? The feeling that everything was fake?

It really was a luxury, to be a prisoner of your own mind. Even if you're a prisoner in paradise, it still didn't change the fact that I was still a prisoner. True freedom was the ability to make your own mistakes and messes, and deciding whether or not to clean up after yourself.

All my life, I've refused to acknowledge my own past.

It was time to clean up.

"Sora!" Somehow, I had expected that. If this really was my own subconscious, surely a part of me wanted me to remain here. I turned around to see Kairi. Her dress was even more beautiful under the haunting moonlight. What a goddess. How could a single girl be so perfect?

"You must really like roofs huh? What are you doing? You should be at the dance," she told me.

"That's my line. You're supposed to be in charge," I answered back. How would my mind excuse her presence here now?

"I got a report that somebody ran up the stairs, you're not supposed to be here you know."

I fell against the railing and watched as she approached closer.

"That's just like you, to look out for everybody," I said. It was how I remembered her, as caring, thoughtful, and warm.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. She closed in on me and crouched down, putting her face close to mine.

"Yeah," I replied. "This. Everything. None of this is real. Everything here is just a figment of my imagination, including you."

Her face crinkled in worry for a moment, but then relaxed. "I think I understand how you feel." She did? "I've been asking myself the same question a lot lately. Can you guess what it is?"

I shook my head. I had no clue.

"I ask myself," she started, "Is this real? I almost lost you Sora. When I heard that you were in the hospital, it was the first time in my life I felt truly scared. When you woke up, I felt so relieved." Her eyes became glassy. "But…something about that accident changed you Sora. I couldn't figure it out. It was almost as if…you were ahead of me. I've always looked after you but now...it's like you're the one looking after me."

I smiled at that.

"Before I knew it, I started to rely on you. I wondered if you were always like this and I just never realized…or if I just never gave you a chance to stand on your own. I think about you a lot you know. And I…"

"Kairi…how do you feel about me?" I asked plainly.

"I…when Riku asked me out, I didn't say 'no' because I'd be busy with the homecoming dance, the only reason I said 'no' was because of you Sora. I…"

She…?

"I love you Sora."

How long have I waited to hear those words? Giddiness began to spread from inside by body. I could feel tears leaking from my eyes. Ten years…for that.

"I love you too Kairi," I said. It was what I've always wanted to say to her, but I never had the courage to do so.

She hugged me, wrapping her arms around my body. She felt warm, soft, and nice. I held on to her, to my dream, to my wish, to my hope that could only be realized in a story that I wrote. She pulled back and looked at me with her beautiful gaze, filled with love. She wanted to kiss me.

_"…if you approach Kairi tonight, you will never be able to come back."_

"This isn't real," I said, lightly pushing her away. She furrowed her brow, disappointment filling her eyes.

"What are you talking about Sora?"

I laughed at the situation. Everything was just too perfect. "None of this real, Kairi. You aren't real. You're just telling me what I want to hear, to keep me in this dream prison forever."

"You're scaring me Sora."

"I'm scaring myself right now. Everything feels so real that it's impossible for me to believe otherwise, but what's even more impossible is this situation right now. You and me, alone on the rooftop of a beautiful hotel, under a starry sky. It sounds exactly like a scene out of my book," I explained.

"How can you say this isn't real? Kiss me," she ordered. "Kiss me and then tell me that this isn't real."

I got up to my feet and turned to her. I hugged her tight, feeling her body close to mine, taking in her scent, and intoxicating myself with her presence. I pulled back and stared at her inviting lips.

It was the kiss of death.

I could seal myself in paradise with one kiss with the girl that I've only been in love with my entire life…or I could go back to a horrid life of self-loathing where said love of my life was marrying someone else.

The choice was obvious.

She closed in on me but I turned at the last second.

"Why Sora? Don't you love me?"

I smiled sadly as I gazed into her tear-stained eyes.

"It's because I love you, that I have to do this."

I pushed her off me and she fell to the ground.

I turned to the railing and put my feet on it.

**"No, Sora, what are you doing? Don't do it! You're going to die if you jump!"**

I closed my eyes, reciting the only mantra that could get me through this.

This wasn't real.

This wasn't real.

THIS WASN'T REAL!

"**SORA, DON'T!"**

Too late.

I fell over.

The deafening wind screamed past my face.

My heart sped up, almost beating itself off my chest.

In only a few moments, I would be best friends with the sand below.

I closed my eyes.

Braced myself for impact.

And I—


	12. Welcome Back

**Chapter 12 – Epilogue**

"_No, why…now?"_

"_Hurry…get…him…on the…!"_

"_I can't…belie…really jump…building…"_

"_Patient…hit…car…suffering from…"_

"…_sand cushioned…fall…he might have…chance..."_

"_Sora...God, no! Why? Wh…"_

"_An adul…male…hair, blue…"_

"_We're…losing…!"_

"_Teena…about fourtee…old…"_

"_Clear!"_

"_Are…getting him?"_

"…_it…again!"_

"_Clear!"_

"…_no use…"_

"…_got something!"_

"_Get…back…goddamnit…"_

"_Condition stabil…"_

"…_gone…"_

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep._

_Beep. _

_Beep._

_Beep._

"HAUGHH…!"

"HAAH!"

"HUHH!"

"Huuuh…"

"Haa…"

Cold air plunged deep into his lungs as he gasped desperately for life. He drew in rapid breaths, each surge dragging him back into an unsteady consciousness. He breathed hard and blinked against the blinding light that stabbed at his eyes with sharp pain. Red streaks and green flashes flickered underneath his eyelids as he tried to regain control of his sight. He had finally emerged from the ocean of his mind, breaking the surface of reality, and taking in the painful reminders of bodily existence.

His eyes finally adjusted, revealing a tiled ceiling blanketed with tiny dots. A light panel glowed dully. His eyes darted left and right, seeing nothing but plain walls and uniformly painted hues of green and blue. His breathing calmed, the heart beat monitor beside him lulling in rhythm with his chest.

"Wh…" he choked out. "Where…" He tried to tilt his head but his motor functions were defunct. He felt for his limbs but failed. The insides of his head swam in circles, searching desperately for a reason, an explanation for his current situation.

A starry night…

A hotel…

A dance…

And a girl.

Jump.

He jumped.

Was he…!

No…a child with red hair…a car…an accident…?

Which one was real?

He clenched his eyes shut.

K…

Kai…?

The incessant sound of the heart beat monitor was mucking his thoughts.

"Hmm…somebody turn that alarm off…" a soft voice murmured.

It wasn't his.

Kairi.

"Kai…ri…" he whispered. He heard the rustle of clothes.

"Somebody turn that—oh my god. You're awake. You're awake!" the voice cried out elatedly.

A face came into his view; soft delicate features, smooth cheeks, and mesmerizing ocean eyes.

"Kairi…?" he repeated.

The face crinkled for a moment but relaxed. "Wrong…" she lilted. "It's Naminé."

He blinked again, and finally recognized the blonde tresses that flowed around her face. Strands of yellow cascaded across his vision. "Naminé?"

She sighed and smiled. "Thank god you're awake. Are you okay? Can you speak?" She wore a form-fitting knit sweater, with threaded patterns crisscrossing over a white tank top underneath, and a long plaid skirt. She looked older now, with a mature face, but still retained an aura of divinity.

He nodded his head.

"Do you…remember who you are?" she asked softly.

"Sora," he murmured. The answer was hard to cough out.

Her head bobbed in relief. "Good. Do you know what happened to you?"

He had inkling, but he wanted her to tell him instead, so he shook his head.

"Two weeks ago, you got into a car accident. You've been in a coma since then but…I guess not any more," she updated, smiling at the last part.

Car accident.

Memory exploded.

His mind was a white sheet, but a knife had pierced the fabric, and was dragged across, creating jagged tears and loose threads. Pieces of the past, both real and imagined, fell into place, the fragments coalescing, until his memory finally came together.

"Oh my god," he laughed, or at least tried to, his throat wouldn't cooperate. It was a wicked laugh, almost foreboding, but laced with relief. "Thank god…" He was right. It really was all just a dream. His gambit paid off. "Thank god," he repeated, tears beginning to leak from eyes. Never had he been so glad to be alive.

"Sora, are you alright?" Naminé asked, worry creasing her face.

"Yeah, I'm just glad that…I'm still alive," he wheezed.

Naminé smiled brightly, she thought it was something else. She mentally wiped a sweat off her brow. "We are too."

We? Where was everybody? Where was Kairi? She was the one he expected to wake up to, not Naminé. "Naminé, what are…you doing here?" Speech was still a rough task for him.

"I'm watching over you in Kairi's place," she explained. "She wants me to call as soon as you woke up, which I think I'm going to do now. I'm gonna get the doctor as well." Naminé backed off the bed and took a few steps toward the door. Why wasn't Kairi here, wait—the wedding!

"Naminé, what happened with the…wedding?" he asked feebly.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Sorry to say, but it happened last week. You missed it. They're already on their honeymoon. Just sit back and relax, the doctor will be here soon." She left, leaving Sora alone on his bed.

"Perfect."

His temporary high on life crashed just as soon as he heard the word "honeymoon." He tried to laugh at the injustice of it all, but it was hard just to breathe. It was like his body forgot how to do everything. Get hit by a car, wake up two weeks later, and now the girl he was in love with was gone forever. He asked himself the one question that he kept asking ever he since got here.

"Why did I come back?"

Was it to woo Kairi? To shout out "I object!" the moment the pastor asked if anyone had any problems with the wedding couple? Ha! He didn't even get a chance to ponder it since the wedding had already passed! What was the point of everything? He should've just stayed in his fantasyland after all. Reality…what a joke.

Was there any reason for his fabricated universe? What was the whole point? What was he trying to tell himself this entire time? He should've just kissed her when he had the chance, and sealed himself in a mental paradise.

Ignorance was bliss.

The door opened and a familiar doctor entered the room. His appearance hadn't changed one bit. His eyes were still wide and all-seeing, and his beard was still mightily impressive.

"Dr. Yen Sid," the bedridden man stated.

The doctor was surprised that his patient recognized him. "Mr. Hikari, we meet again, and under unfortunate and surprisingly similar circumstances. I'm surprised you still remember me after all these years," the doctor let out. "Imagine my face when I checked your medical history to see that I've had you as a patient before for the very same reason. Do you have a penchant for car accidents by any chance?"

Sora chuckled. "I think cars have a penchant for me," he joked back. "So lay it on me doc, how's it look for me?" he asked carelessly. Not a whole lot could depress him at this point. Kairi was gone, his body was broken, his mind was barely held together with glue and tape, and what little spirit he had left was threatening to escape. He might as well be diagnosed with cancer, just to put a cherry on top.

"Well…" Dr. Sid started.

Sora listened eagerly to yet another laundry list of broken, damaged, and bruised body parts that belonged to him. He looked down and saw his leg hanging from a sling and his left arm encased in a cast. That explained why he was never able to get the infernal thing off in his dream.

"Although you seem to be in exceptional mental condition, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a cursory memory test. It's standard procedure after comas," Dr. Sid explained.

"I understand."

Sora easily passed the tests, which ranged from following fingers to basic memory questions.

"What is your name?"

"Sora Hikari."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

"Hmmm…that should be enough. We'll run some more tests later, but I think you're good. I'll let the front desk know that you're good for visitors."

"Thank you, Dr. Sid."

"No problem." Dr. Sid got up to leave but turned around, "Oh, and one more thing."

"What is that?" Sora replied curiously.

"Welcome back to the real world."

The door closed with a soft click after the doctor's exit.

Sora leaned back against the bed. He could finally feel his body again. Sensation began to creep through his limbs, although pain-killing drugs were mediating the process. With some slight effort, he turned to his left and saw a mess of flower baskets and get-well cards. It was a beautiful collage of colors and petals. He could tell from the arrangement that it was his mom who organized them. His eyes roved over each of the signatures on the cards and recognized the names: Riku, Axel, Yuffie, Naminé, Selphie, Tidus, Hayner, Olette, Pence, Cid, Shera, Tifa, and Ansem…

Did they all come to visit while he was unconscious? Who knew he could command such an audience? The thought comforted him though. He never thought of them as anything more than distractions, vessels for which he could invest his mental energy into, all in an effort to forget about Riku and Kairi but…they probably thought of him as caring, gentle, and generous. Who was right? A little of column A and a little of column B?

He turned to his favorite staring spot—the ceiling, and laughed. Life was a strange thing. For the last ten years, he lamented his failures and never took the time to recognize his achievements. It was all about perspective. It was amazing what one little shift in perspective could do for a person's entire outlook on life. Change the angle and now all of a sudden, you could see everything that was hidden from view.

Maybe that was what he was trying to tell himself all along. Not to forget. He forgot not only the bad things, but the good things as well. He forgot his misery, but he also forgot the hard lessons. By refusing to acknowledge his mistakes, he refused to accept the wisdom learned from such experiences. He submerged himself in a pool of self-loathing and hatred, an infinite rut, a doomed loop of self-inflicted misery.

He had to let go of the bitterness, the anguish, and just simply…move on.

He had to let go of Kairi.

The door squeaked open.

"So how did she reac—," he tried to ask, expecting Naminé to come in, but it wasn't. Sora was shocked. "Kairi? What are you doing here?"

Her eyes were wide at seeing Sora on the bed, alive and awake again. She wore a dark colored jacket, a bright shirt underneath, and a pair of pants. "Sora!" She ran up to him and hugged him fiercely.

Sora was too shocked by her appearance to do anything. She was no longer a teenager with a short cut of auburn hair and a childish body; she was full grown woman with free flowing locks that spilled messily over him. It finally dawned that Kairi was hugging him. With his free hand, he hugged her back. "Kairi…aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?" he asked, confused.

She drew back with a puzzled expression but realized what he was talking about. Sadness captured her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

For what? Ruining the honeymoon? If anything, he should be the one apologizing. "You don't have to."

"No." She looked to the side and avoided his gaze. "I was never getting married Sora," she confessed.

The combination of the word "never" and "married" coming out of her mouth elicited a rather strange reaction from him. It was as if somebody had lit a fuse that lead to a giant pile of fireworks named "is that really what I just heard?" He had to make sure whether there would be a show tonight, or if he should stamp out the fuse before somebody got hurt.

"You're not…getting married?" The question came out tough, like the last batch of syrup at the bottom of the jar. He had to dig in deep just to say it.

"That's right."

Colors exploded in his mind. It was hard to think when lights, smoke, and loud noises were swirling about in his brain.

Naminé was here though. Naminé definitely came here for a wedding. If she didn't come to Kairi and Riku's wedding, whose wedding was it? "Then who was Naminé talking about?"

Kairi looked up with deep shame coloring her face. "Tidus and Selphie were the ones who got married."

What was going on here? Nothing made sense! "What's going on?"

She got up from the bed and went to the wall, dragging a chair over and sitting down before him. She folded her hands in her lap and fidgeted for a brief moment. She was extremely nervous. After mustering up enough nerve, she put her full attention on Sora. "The truth is…the wedding invitation was a fake," she admitted.

Sora could only stare at her, his heart beating rapidly with hope. No, he couldn't let himself get carried away here. Didn't he just say to himself that he had to let Kairi go? So what if they weren't getting married, they were still together right? "What about you and Riku?"

"Riku and I…broke up two years ago."

An atomic explosion just occurred in Sora's mind. He was blown away by the revelation and was rendered utterly incapable of speech. "Wha…then why the ruse?"

"Because…we knew that you would never come to Tidus and Selphie's wedding otherwise. You've always ignored anything that we've sent your way," she supplied logically. She was right though, he would've just ignored Tidus and Selphie.

"So you tricked me just so I could show up at their wedding?" he summarized incredulously. It was a rather elaborate hoax just to goad him out of hiding.

"It wasn't just that—" Kairi cried out. Her eyes were beginning to glisten. The moistness captured Sora's attention. "That's one part of it but…god, Sora, we wouldn't have to do this if you weren't so…" she trailed off.

"…distant?" he finished.

She choked out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. "Yeah, distant." She sniffled. "More like a complete jerk." The moistness pooled and glided down her cheeks. She brought a finger to divert its path.

"Kairi…" The sight of her like this was killing him. He could feel his chest thump erratically, the weight of emotion straining his lungs.

"I was going to tell you the truth after we got out of the shop but…you know, you had to get hit by a car," she tried to laugh. Her shoulders were shaking. How worried was she?

"I'm sorry," he said. He didn't know what else to do.

Though she was crying, she was also smiling. "You're such an idiot." She hugged him again, her wet face rubbing against his. "I'm just glad you're okay."

They held each other like that for awhile. Seconds had turned into minutes, and minutes into...a really long time. She had finally calmed down and let go. He already missed her embrace.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She giggled and clasped his free hand with her own. She rubbed small circles in his palm. "I should be asking you that. You're the one who just woke up from a coma."

"That's true…" He squeezed her hand, trying to memorize the tactile curves of her palms. "So everyone was in on it? Even my own mom…"

"The whole thing was Riku's idea. It was payback, for all the mean things you did to us in high school." She said it plainly, as a matter of fact. There was no resentment in her voice.

He couldn't forget his own actions though. He had lied to them, insulted them, and was basically an irredeemable jackass. He could understand why Riku would employ such a deception. "I guess I deserved it."

"You mom only agreed because she missed you," she explained.

His mom just wanted him back. He looked up at Kairi's beautiful face. "Why did you agree?"

"Because I wanted to know how you felt about me."

The statement disorientated him. He felt a large swell of vertigo wash over and he swallowed a rather large gulp.

He pretended not to hear what she said.

"I'm many things Sora, but an idiot is not one of them. I read your books and I finally…understood…understood why it was that you acted the way you did." Was she basing her hypothesis on his story?

"Kairi, it's just a story about heroes, light, and darkness. Don't you think you're reading in a little too deep about it?" he argued back.

She gave a resigned smile. "You broke that promise, the one you made when we were at the airport. You never did call back, or reply to any of my letters, or do anything to even let me know you were alive."

He frowned as she listed his failures, each word a vicious stab to his heart.

"But…I read your story. I knew they were your words. That was how you spoke back to me. It was the reply that I was always waiting for. To everybody else, it's just a kid's story about epic adventures but…I know the person writing the book better than anyone."

That was a mighty claim, to say that she knew him better than anyone. "Was that why you could never figure out why I was such an asshole in high school?" he shot back.

She flinched. "I…I was dumb back then okay? I always thought about you. I just wanted to know why best friend turned his back on me after so long. It wasn't until I finally convinced Riku to tell me what happened that night that I…it figures he'd tell me after we broke up," she laughed. "Which is why, I want to know, right now, whether or not you…" She had a hard time squeezing out the last few words. She became silent, giving up on the idea.

So she knew.

Now she just wanted to know if he still held the same feelings for her that he did all those years ago. He couldn't run away this time, literally. His body was battered and broken. Most importantly, he knew he couldn't run away mentally. He recalled his past, for better or worse, and knew that he had to confront this once and for all. It was time to clear the air.

"I do," he answered.

She looked up in surprise. She was too lost in her thoughts. "Do what?"

"Kairi," he said, with resigned humor. She was just like him, afraid of confrontation, afraid of knowing the truth. He had to change that and just declare the one thing that he had always wanted to say.

"I am still fucking in love with you."

He laughed just as soon as he said it. It sounded so ridiculous—his entire love was ridiculous.

She stared at him with eyes that he couldn't quite place. Was it pity? The idea made him laugh even harder. He didn't know if the tears that were coming out his eyes were because of the laughter or because of something else. His fits began to die down and he moved his fingers to wipe away the droplets. "Even now, I still feel the same way towards you. Even though I know that you would never return my feelin—" He was cut off by an immense hug.

"I'm sorry," she cried out. "I am so—so sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" he squeaked. "You've got nothing to apologize for." She was saying sorry. That must mean—his vision started to blur. He knew it, she didn't return his feelings.

"No—it is. It's all my fault. If I wasn't such an idiot when I was younger, if I had known better, if I was a better friend, you wouldn't have had to…I can't imagine what you've gone through," she rambled. Was she blaming herself? She gripped the sides of his face and leveled her gaze at him. "But…don't write yourself out just like that," she admonished.

"What?" His heart was speeding.

"Who said there was no chance I would return your feelings?" she said, smiling.

"Kairi?" He was definitely confused now.

"Don't you remember? I always said that the hero and princess deserved to be together," she laughed. "I still believe that. It's true that we haven't seen each other for ten years. It's true that I never thought of you as anything more than my best friend before that, but…after I read your story, I just _understood_. I knew it was you somehow, like you were writing that story for me. You're my best friend Sora, and I could never stop myself from wondering…what if? What if you were the one all along? The more I thought about it, the crazier I thought I was becoming. Here I was, falling in love with a man I hadn't seen in ten years over a book that could or could not have been written by you," she laughed. "I had to confirm it for myself. Whether my imagination was playing tricks on me or if…there was something real there."

This entire conversation had been the most stressful experience of his life. Hope brightened and dimmed at a rapid pace. With each revelation that came from her lips, he couldn't tell if he had a chance or no chance. They were pioneering a unique form of torture. Each time she gave him hope; he breathed and dared to dream. Each time she crushed his hope, he was punched in the gut and wanted nothing more than to sleep forever.

"…so which is it." It was question filled with the best and worst expectations.

"The moment I saw you again, was the happiest in my life. I still don't know if what I feel is real but…I want to find out. I want to learn about you all over again Sora. I would never know unless I gave you a shot, right?" She smiled a lovely smile, the kind that can make any man fall in love with her.

He had almost phased her out from expecting the worse. He was in a trance. He heard her, but didn't _listen_. It sounded like babbling nonsense that couldn't possibly be true.

He had spent so much of his life as master of his own universe, puppeteering characters and orchestrating events in accordance with his own warped perspective in life. He had to be on the receiving end of misfortune. Any aberration from this mold was jarring. If he got a compliment, it was a backhanded one. They were just trying to be nice. They didn't really _mean_ it.

He worked under the assumption that he knew what everybody was thinking about at all times. He had always assumed that he had no chance with Kairi, that Kairi would be happy with Riku forever, or that Riku was better than him. Never did he realize how people really felt, about their inner turmoil, their personal problems, or true feelings.

"_When it comes to love, yer feelin's don't mean shit. The only thing that matters is her."_

By acting like you know everything, you don't really know anything. For the first time, he truly heard her.

"Then does this mean…we're together now?" he asked in a state of utter perplexity.

She rolled her eyes and moved her face close.

And kissed him.

It was the sweetest moment of his life. Her lips were soft, moist, and fiery. The sensation burned on his lips and snaked down his spine, causing pinpoints of fire to light up unexpectedly across his body. Was this…passion? He shuddered against her lips as euphoria descended upon them both. No longer did he have to imagine her kisses, reality was on his side now, and it sure kicked his imagination's ass.

She pulled back, a delirious grin on her face. "Did that answer your question?"

"I need further confirmation," he joked.

She giggled but complied anyways, kissing him again, and again, and again.

It was the start of many to come…

He was extremely curious about life outside his coma. Although he had been out for only two weeks, it felt like an eternity. The particulars of his dream were already beginning to fade, but like all poignant dreams, he could still remember specific parts as if they were real memories.

"What happened after I got hit?" he asked her.

Instead of answering back, Kairi got out of her chair and made her way to the other side of the bed where all the flowers were. She rummaged through the thicket of flowers until she pulled out a copy of the Destiny Island Times. She held up the front page, with the headline spelling:

**Man Rescues Child From Incoming Car, Goes Into Coma**

"Congratulations, you're on the front page," Kairi offered. She handed the paper to Sora. "Have a closer look."

He examined the headline and the writer who wrote it. "Olette?"

"Remember her?" Kairi asked. "She's an editor at the Destiny High Times now. She's actually broken some pretty big stories. The fact that she wrote one about you says a lot—especially since you're front page material."

He continued reading the story until his eyes hit an interesting fact. "The kid was Axel's son?"

Kairi went back to her seat and plopped down. "Yup, he was one of the first ones to visit. He wanted to offer his thanks."

"Wow…he's already a father. All of a sudden, I feel old."

Kairi laughed. "Imagine how the rest of us feel."

Sora put the paper down and admired his mini-garden beside him. "A lot of people came to visit, didn't they?"

"I was with you the whole time. Ms. Hikari came as fast as she could and Riku was really worried. He was feeling guilty," she revealed. "He didn't want you to die under a lie."

"I see…"

"Once the story came out," she said, while she grabbed the newspaper and folded it up, "the people who remembered you came to visit and wish you well. Remember Yuffie?"

He did. "How could I forget?"

"She's leading the Destiny Islands Female Athletics Organization. DIFAO for short."

"Wow," he let out, shocked at the news. "She really went a long way didn't she?"

"Others came too: Olette—obviously—Cid and Shera, Pence, Hayner, and Tidus and Selphie."

"Even Tidus and Selphie?" Sora repeated.

"They said the reason they met was because of you. They came before they left for their honeymoon."

That made sense. They probably couldn't afford to visit him before the ceremony.

"I was really surprised when Headmaster Ansem came."

"He's a friend of my mom," Sora explained.

"I think he also remembers what you did in high school," Kairi suggested. "I know I still do."

He had almost forgotten it all, but he was recalling everything with startling accuracy now. There was still one person he wanted to know about, a person that wasn't in his memories. "What about Naminé?"

"She's a really close friend of mine. We were real close in high school because of…well, you."

"Huh?" he let out.

"You were acting like a jerk back then. I guess you can say I replaced you with her, but you two are completely different people. She was here for Tidus and Selphie's wedding. I had been staying in this room the whole week. She convinced me to take a break and said that she'd watch over you in her my place." So that explained why Naminé was here.

"Did you tell her anything about me?"

Kairi grinned. "I told her everything about you."

He couldn't tell if she was serious and messing with him. Maybe it was his mind that was screwing him up. Dreams were always such an odd beast. People from deep in the past always seemed to show up for inexplicable reasons.

"I'm just happy you're here now. I was the one who called 911. I was—I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life." She hugged herself closely, remembering the moment. "I didn't want to lose you again, not when you just came back into my life." She leaned forward to kiss him. "Promise that you won't leave again?"

"I promise."

This time he meant it.

He looked at the flowers and back to Kairi. "I never knew I had so many supporters."

"The doctor said that a familiar environment might help you recover. You've left an impact on quite a few people. It's no surprise that they came to see you. Everybody had something to say. Some owe you a lot, some were sad that you never contacted them, and some were just mad to see you this way."

Sora stared dumbly at Kairi's revelations.

"Even if you may not think it, they've missed you this entire time. You were a great friend Sora. Sometimes, I think you're superhuman."

"What makes you say that?" he laughed.

"You did so much for everybody. Even though I was the Student Council President, I always felt I had to catch up to you. You were amazing then, and you're still amazing now."

He wanted to say she was just trying to make him feel better, but Cid's (imagined?) words rang in his head again. He just had to learn how to take a compliment. "Thanks."

The door burst open with Ms. Hikari and Riku running in.

"Sora!" they both exclaimed.

After much hugs and kisses (none from Riku, of course), they were finally together again.

His mother was especially clingy, who held on to her son tightly, showering him with kisses, and cooing like a mother hen.

"Come on mom, I alright now," the son reassured. Even though he was twenty-six years old, she still treated him like a little baby.

"Oh hush, let me enjoy this moment," his mother scolded. "I was afraid I'd almost lost you again."

He felt guilty. She was probably referring to his departure to Twilight Town. "Don't worry mom, I'm here," he whispered.

"You had better not leave anytime soon," she warned. "I want my son to keep me company for awhile."

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I will. I think I found a reason to stay," he said, looking at Kairi.

His mother smiled. "Really now?" She squeezed his cheeks. "Tell me all about it later; somebody here wants to have a word with you alone." Ms. Hikari backed off and looked to Riku.

The white-haired man was wearing nice clothes, a blue business suit. It looked like he just ran out of work or something.

"Hey," the white-haired man greeted, one hand in his pocket, and the other in the air.

"Hey," the brunet man replied back.

"This is our cue to leave," Ms. Hikari whispered to Kairi. "Let's leave these two alone." Kairi nodded, smiling, and followed the older woman out.

The door shut quietly.

Riku paced around the room, observing the flower shrine for a moment, until he finally settled in the Kairi's vacant seat. He leaned forward with his elbows on the bed and hands folded beneath his chin. "I'm guessing Kairi told you everything huh?"

"Yeah," Sora acknowledged.

"Sorry about that." It was a simple apology.

"I understand why you did it. You're forgiven. Heck, I should be the one apologizing," Sora rebutted, referring to his ten-year absence that apparently wreaked havoc on the other man's relationship.

"No. Look at it from my side. I tricked you into coming here. I didn't know if you were over Kairi or still loved her, but I had to get you back to Destiny Islands."

"I know."

"And what happens once you get here? I put on this ploy, making you think that me and Kairi are still together, and then you get hit by a car before we can tell you the truth. Then it would be my fault that you got hit by that car because I tricked you into coming here, and if you died—fuck man, you would've died thinking that you never had a chance!" Riku spilled out.

Sora looked at the man more closely. His clothes were slightly disheveled, dark bags hung beneath his eyes, his pupils were bloodshot, and stubble covered his chin; Riku looked horrible. "But I didn't die. I'm here now. Besides, it's my fault for jumping in front of the car, and I did it to save a kid."

Riku massaged his temples. The words did little to assuage his guilt. "I'm sorry. It's all I can say." Riku sat quietly in his seat for a few minutes, letting the silence become more awkward by the second. "So are you and Kairi…together now?" Riku asked tentatively.

Sora smiled in relief. He wasn't sure if Riku was still beating himself up, but the question called for a little humor. "I ask her the same thing, but all she does is kiss me when I do. I can't really tell what that means."

Riku laughed. "I would take that as a no," he joked. "Congratulations." There was no bitterness to it, he really meant it.

"I just don't get it. Weren't you two happy together? Why'd you guys break up?" Sora probed. He thought they were perfect for each other. He didn't want to ask Kairi too deeply about it since it seemed like a tender subject for her.

"Things changed I guess. Why do people break up after all?" Riku replied rhetorically.

"You didn't…cheat on her did you?"

"No! Of course not! What makes you say that?" Riku was genuinely offended by the suggestion.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "Infidelity is a very popular reason for break ups."

"It wasn't that," Riku confirmed. "Things weren't working out for us. We had different expectations for each other and…we were getting a little distant. It wasn't the same any more. We used to be so comfortable around each other but…there was this unspoken and enormous elephant in the room that we always skirted around whenever we talked."

"An unspoken enormous elephant?"

"You."

He recoiled from the Riku's admission. "Me?"

"Even though you left so that we could be happy together, I think your departure did just the opposite. I think we ended up blaming each other for your disappearance. It sounds weird, I know, but you were the reason for our arguments. We just couldn't get over it, even though we tried for a while. At first, we consoled each other but…we just started assigning guilt and…things just fell apart. Even though we broke up two years ago, our relationship was on the rocks long before that. Everybody thought we were great together and we just put on a front. To be honest, it feels a lot better to be friends again."

Sora didn't realize that leaving had such an effect. To think that leaving could've been the reason for their breakup…now he didn't know whether or not to regret leaving in the first place. Funny how life works out. "Isn't it weird? You guys like…you know…"

Riku laughed loudly at the unsaid question. "People grow up. We're adults. You can get hung up on it but…what's past is past. In the end, though I may have won the battle, you might have actually won the war."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the brunet warned. Who was to say that Sora won't end up like Riku a couple years down the line? Heck, maybe even a couple months.

"No, I think you did," Riku reiterated. He leaned back and crossed his arms and gave the brunet a serious look. "She may not know it, but I think she's harbored feelings for you all along. I had my chance and it didn't work out. Just accept it Sora, it's your victory. Be happy!" he urged.

"Sorry, I'm just kind of new to this whole 'happy business.'" Happiness was good but…he wasn't used to it. He felt miserable for so long, he was just worried that this feeling wouldn't last. Old habits die hard. He had to get used to listening to other people and stop listening to himself.

Riku gave him a lingering stare.

"What?" Sora replied, slightly creeped out by his friend's intensity.

"Nothing it's just…your final attack man, it's the reason you're here today."

"My final attack?"

"The night you left, when you called me to the secret place. Until I met you that night, I thought you were gone forever, that the Sora I was best friends with no longer existed. But when you told me what was really going on, I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"I assume you were the one who told Kairi I was leaving that night?" Sora posited.

"You'd be right, but I didn't tell her _why_ you were leaving." He gave a small laugh. "I think your final act of kindness was crueler than anything you ever did to me in high school. I couldn't get over it for years. I always wondered what you were up to…which was why I asked your mom to send you that invitation. I knew that if you still felt the same way about Kairi, you would come."

"You're one mean bastard you know that?"

"Consider it a taste of your own medicine. Ten years expired and really bitter."

Sora crackled. "Good one."

"I'm sorry for lying to you, for putting on such an elaborate charade—and things certainly went to shit as soon as you got hit by that car. It seems like no matter what you do, you always manage to make me feel like shit in the end. Whether you were a saint, an asshole, or a victim of unfortunate circumstance, I was always the bad guy."

It was all too funny. Why were people so insecure about themselves? Why couldn't they figure out, like he finally did, that in the end, we were all the same? "No Riku. We were never better than each other. Didn't you know I spent a lifetime being jealous of you? I always thought that you guys were on a level above me, that I didn't even deserve to be on the same plane. I finally learned that…we're all simultaneously weak, miserable, but strong, hopeful, and amazing. We're just…human."

Riku grinned the kind of grin that touched the edges of his eyes because the mouth was so wide. It was a fantastic smile and one that could dispel any bad feelings between them.

"So what now?" the brunet asked.

"You know, I kind of have my eye on Kairi's friend, Naminé. Do you think I have a shot?" the white-haired man asked.

Sora guffawed. "If I'm going to be honest, I have no freakin' idea. But you know what? Just go for it."

"Go for it? Just like old times, huh?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," he said with a mock grimace. "But seriously, go for it. I'm behind you, all the way."

He really meant it.

The next few days passed like a dream, it was great to reconnect with his lost past. People came to see and welcome him back. Others came to tell him off for leaving so long, and then poured off their heartfelt thanks for returning.

He was resting at the moment, looking over the flowers they left for him. His mother took care of them so they were still minty fresh, exuding gentle fragrances that masked the antiseptic air. The door creaked open and Kairi poked her head in.

"What's up?" Sora asked, spotting his now-girlfriend's head.

She had a sneaky smile on her face. "I have a little surprise for you!" She opened the door with a flourish to reveal three men.

"Mickey, Donald, Goofy!" he cried out.

"Sora!" they yelled in unison.

They surrounded him quickly, showering him with get-well wishes and good vibes.

"Sora! Why are we always meeting in a hospital?" Donald quacked. The short man wore a blue button up and shorts. His face was contorted with feigned anger. He quickly shot a relieved grin.

"Aw shucks, I hope you're okay now!" Goofy pitched in. The tall lanky man wore a beige vest than hung over an orange turtleneck. Sora had to arch his neck backwards to meet the much taller man's eyes.

"I'm good," the writer replied back. "Better, now that you guys are here."

"Sora," Mickey called out, catching the brunet's attention. Mickey was even shorter than Donald, but despite his diminutive stature and squeaky voice, he commanded attention. He also emanated an aura of fun that Sora was never able to put his finger on. "I want you to take a look at this," the editor ordered. He held up a newspaper article from the Destiny Island Times.

"Author of the Keyblade Chronicles who saved child from incoming car finally wakes up from two-week coma," Sora read. He glanced over to Kairi who shrugged in response. Olette's investigative prowess was a little too over-powered for his liking. How did she figure it out? "The cat's out of the bag now."

"That's right!" Mickey shouted, bouncing up and down. "There's a whole crowd outside waiting for a glimpse of you."

"I'm sorry Mickey," Sora said.

"What for? This is great publicity! Sales of your books shot up 20% just from the news!" he cheerily revealed.

Sora blinked. A smile started creeping on to his face. "Mickey, you think we could talk alone, I want to discuss the third book."

Goofy and Donald looked at Mickey, who nodded back.

Kairi gave Sora a look that said, 'don't you trust me?'

Sora returned it with a look that answered, 'I'll tell you about it later.'

Telepathic communication was great.

Everybody left the room except for Sora and Mickey.

"So what is it?" the short editor asked.

"I'm thinking about scrapping my entire draft."

"What? But you worked on it for so long!" Mickey yelped.

"Come on Mickey, you knew it was crap. You just didn't want to tell me."

"Well…" Mickey scratched his head guiltily. "I just thought you could've worked through it. Do you have a new idea now? What is it?"

"It's like time travel," Sora started.

"You know how I feel about time-travel, it gets way too complicated!" he reminded.

"No no, I said it's _like_ time travel, but it really isn't."

Intriguing. "I'm listening."

Sora laid out his entire story and by the time he finished, Mickey was buzzing with excitement. "That's amazing! I can't wait to read it once you finally write it out! This is going to be big!" The editor's enthusiasm was infectious.

Sora found himself bouncing on the hospital bed as well. "Thank you."

"Alright, I gotta go discuss this with the other editors, although I'm sure they'll all be on board." The short editor gathered his notepad, which he used to write down notes, and packed it in his bag. He was about the leave the room until Sora called out to him.

"Hey Mickey, there's one thing I want to discuss."

"Of course pal, what is it?"

"I'm thinking of moving back here, to Destiny Islands."

The editor rubbed his chin and pondered the implications. He turned back to Sora and grinned. "No problem, Destiny Islands could use a Disney branch! I'll see you later!" Mickey waved off and left the door open for Kairi to come in.

They greeted each other as they crossed paths.

Outside, Mickey could be heard corralling the other two and leaving.

Kairi sat down in her usual seat with an amused expression. "I met your friends, they're great people."

Sora returned her smile. "They're good guys."

Kairi shuffled up to her boyfriend and leaned her head against him. Kairi was surprisingly physically intimate, it was like she couldn't keep her hands off him—not that he was complaining. "It all seems so surreal."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen you for so long and now…you're here. It's almost like a dream," she sighed.

"Is it so hard to believe that dreams can come true?"

"You're so corny," she laughed.

He really hoped that this wasn't a dream within a dream; the kind of stupid twist ending that leaves the audience confused, disappointed, and angry. After all the crap that he had to go through, it would really suck if he was still stuck in a coma. "I actually came up with a test to see if this is real or not, you can try it if you want."

"What is it?" she quipped curiously.

"What's the one thing about a dream that always happens?"

"You're in your underwear?" she answered.

"What?"

"Nothin'," she quickly excused.

Sora shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "What kind of dreams are you having?"

"Just forget I said anything. What is it that always happens in a dream?" she repeated.

"You always wake up before the good part happens." He immediately captured her lips and drew back. "See? You're still here. It's not a dream."

Kairi was deep in thought before giving a mischievous smirk. "You think that's the good part? You haven't seen nothing yet. I don't know about your dreams, but my good parts are a lot better than yours." The implication was oh so tantalizing.

"God, you are such a tease."

"I know." She kissed him on the lips. "You're the best you know that? I…I love you."

He grinned. He never got tired of hearing that. "I know. I love you too."

In another time and in another place, things could've been different.

He lived in the past.

He lived in the future.

Who knew how long this happiness would last?

As long as he lived in the present, things would be fine.

He spent his entire life wondering 'what if?'

'What if' didn't matter any more.

Because…

Right here,

Right now,

There was no place he'd rather be.


End file.
